verb
snarl
SNAHL
verb
1
To growl and bare the teeth angrily, as an animal does.
"The dog snarled at the mail carrier."
2
To speak in an angry, aggressive tone.
""Get out," he snarled."
3
To tangle something up, or to become congested, as with traffic.
"An overturned lorry snarled traffic for miles."
noun
1
A tangled knot, or a bad traffic jam.
"Her hair was a snarl after the windy walk."
"The accident caused a snarl on the interstate."
How to Use Snarl
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo growl or speak angrily, or to tangle/jam something up.
Common pairings
snarl traffic
snarl at someone
a traffic snarl
Word Forms
snarled past tense, snarled past tense, snarls plural, snarls plural, snarls singular, snarls singular
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Etymology
From Middle English snarlen, a frequentative form of snaren ("to trap, entangle"), related to snare.