Meaning & use
snarl
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Meanings
verbintransitive
To make a low, angry sound while showing the teeth, as a dog does.
Grammar: Often followed by at: the dog snarled at the stranger.
Patterns
- snarl at someone
The dog snarled at the stranger and backed away.
The tiger snarled as the hunters came closer.
A wolf snarled from the shadows.
verbtransitive or intransitive
To speak in an angry, rough voice.
Grammar: Can take quoted speech: 'Go away,' he snarled.
Patterns
- snarl something at someone
- snarl at someone
'Leave me alone,' she snarled.
The manager snarled at the staff after the bad news.
He snarled a reply and slammed the door.
nouncountable
A low, angry growl or a rough, hostile way of speaking.
Grammar: Often with a: said with a snarl.
Patterns
- with a snarl
- a snarl of something
He answered with a snarl and turned away.
The dog let out a low snarl.
Her snarl showed she was very angry.
nouncountable
A tangled mass of hair, thread, wire or traffic that is hard to separate.
Grammar: Often followed by of: a snarl of wires.
Patterns
- a snarl of something
- a snarl in something
I spent an hour working out a snarl in my hair.
A snarl of cables lay under the desk.
A crash caused a huge traffic snarl on the bridge.
verbtransitive or intransitive
To become tangled or to make something tangled or confused.
Grammar: Often with up: traffic snarled up.
Patterns
- snarl something up
- snarl up
The accident snarled traffic for miles.
My hair snarled in the wind.
A paperwork mix-up snarled the project.
Word forms
| third person singular | snarls |
|---|---|
| past tense | snarled |
| past participle | snarled |
| -ing form | snarling |
| plural | snarls |
Common combinations
- snarl at someone
- The guard snarled at the visitors.
- traffic snarl
- A traffic snarl delayed commuters.
- snarl of wires
- A snarl of wires hung behind the television.
- snarl up
- Roadworks snarled up the whole district.
- bare teeth and snarl
- The cornered dog bared its teeth and snarled.
Synonyms and how they differ
- growl
- Growl is a lower sound that animals and people make and can be a warning, while snarl adds the baring of teeth and open hostility.
- bark
- Bark means to speak sharply and loudly and is shorter and less menacing than snarl.
- tangle
- Tangle is the standard word for twisted threads and does not suggest being stuck in traffic as much as snarl does.
- knot
- Knot is a tight twist that is hard to undo, while snarl is looser and more messy.
Opposites
Word family
- snarling adjective
- growling in a hostile way
- snarly adjective
- tangled, or bad-tempered, informal
- snarl-up noun
- a traffic jam or confusion, mainly British
- snarler noun
- someone or something that snarls, rare
Commonly confused: snarl or snare?
snarl vs snare
A snare is a trap for catching animals, while a snarl is an angry growl or a tangle.
Practice
The dog bared its teeth and ______ at the stranger who tried to open the gate.
Choose one answer.
Snarled fits an angry dog showing its teeth. Purred and whispered describe soft, calm sounds.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “snarl”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.