snarl
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snarl¹
- /ˈsnɑː(ɹ)l/
Rhymes with -ɑː(ɹ)l
Where it comes from
From Middle English snarlen, frequentative of snaren (“to trap, tangle”). Equivalent to snare + -le.
verb snarls · snarling · snarled
-
To entangle; to complicate; to involve in knots.
to snarl a skein of thread
Similar: ensnare, ensnarl, ravel, enmesh, entangle, foul, implicate, imply, involve, mat, snarl, tangle
- To become entangled.
- To place in an embarrassing situation; to ensnare; to make overly complicated. November 9, 1550, Hugh Latimer, Sermon Preached at Stanford [the] question that they would have snarled him with
- To be congested in traffic, or to make traffic congested.
- To form raised work upon the outer surface of (thin metal ware) by the repercussion of a snarling iron upon the inner surface; to repoussé
noun snarls
-
A knot or complication of hair, thread, or the like, difficult to disentangle.
His eye was alerted by a flutter of white seen through the snarl of branches between his stump and the Mere, and on looking more closely was surprised to see Mary sitting about a hundred yards below him on a mossy log, opposite the islet.
Similar: entanglement
-
An intricate complication; a problematic difficulty; a knotty or tangled situation.
Bond grinned again as he thought of Damon's exasperation at having to dish out a lot of soft soap to Washington when he probably had plenty of other Anglo-American snarls to disentangle.
Similar: imbroglio
- A slow-moving traffic jam. The biggest cities feel the most acute impact of the last mile – of the squads of trucks and vans, the parcel hubs and sorting centres, the parking snarls and the discarded boxes.
snarl²
- /ˈsnɑː(ɹ)l/
Rhymes with -ɑː(ɹ)l
Where it comes from
Frequentative of earlier snar (“to growl”), perhaps from Middle Low German snorren (“to drone”), of probably imitative origin. Equivalent to snar + -le. Related to German schnarren (“to rattle”) and schnurren (“to hum, buzz”).
verb snarls · snarling · snarled
- To growl angrily by gnashing or baring the teeth; to gnarl; to utter grumbling sounds.
- To complain angrily; to utter growlingly.
- To speak crossly; to talk in rude, surly terms. It is malicious and unmanly to snarl at the little lapses of a pen, from which Virgil himself stands not exempted.
noun snarls
- The act of snarling; a growl; a surly or peevish expression; an angry contention.
- A growl, for example that of an angry or surly dog, or similar; grumbling sounds.
- A squabble.
Translations
Every language
verb to embarrass
| Ελληνικά | φερνω κπ σε δυσκολη θεση ferno kp se dyskoli thesi |
|---|
verb to entangle
| Español | enredar |
|---|---|
| Français | enchevêtrer |
| Deutsch | verheddern |
| Ελληνικά | εμπλέκω empléko |
| Русский | запу́тывать zapútyvatʹ, осложня́ть osložnjátʹ |
verb to become entangled
| Français | s'enchevêtrer |
|---|---|
| Ελληνικά | εμπλέκομαι emplékomai |
noun knot or complication of hair, thread, or the like, difficult to disentangle
| Español | enredo, maraña |
|---|---|
| Français | embrouille, sac de nœuds |
| Deutsch | wirres Knäuel |
| Română | încurcătură |
| Русский | у́зел úzel, клубо́к klubók |
noun an intricate complication; a problematic difficulty; a knotty or tangled situation
| Русский | пу́таница pútanica |
|---|
verb To growl
| Español | gruñir |
|---|---|
| Français | grogner |
| Deutsch | knurren, Zähne fletschen |
| Italiano | ringhiare |
| Ελληνικά | γρυλίζω grylízo, γρινιάζω griniázo, ουρλιάζω ourliázo |
| Română | mârâi |
| Русский | рыча́ть ryčátʹ, огрыза́ться ogryzátʹsja, ворча́ть vorčátʹ |
verb To speak crossly
| Deutsch | anschnauzen |
|---|---|
| Русский | ворча́ть vorčátʹ |
noun act of snarling
| Español | gruñido |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | Fletschen, ärgerliches Knurren, wütendes Knurren |
| Italiano | ringhio |
| Română | mârâit |
| Русский | ворча́ние vorčánije, рыча́ние ryčánije |
Talk about this word "snarl." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/snarl. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. snarl. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/snarl "snarl." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/snarl.Cite this
@misc{snarl_2026,
title = {snarl},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/snarl},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
