snag

American  

[snag] / snæg /

noun

1. a tree or part of a tree held fast in the bottom of a river, lake, etc., and forming an impediment or danger to navigation.

2. a short, projecting stump, as of a branch broken or cut off.

3. any sharp or rough projection.

4. a jagged hole, tear, pull, or run in a fabric, as caused by catching on a sharp projection.

5. any obstacle or impediment.

6. a stump of a tooth or a projecting tooth; snaggletooth.

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verb (used with object)

snagged, snagging

1. to run or catch up on a snag.

2. to damage by so doing.

3. to obstruct or impede, as a snag does.

   He snagged all my efforts.

4. to grab; seize.

   to snag the last piece of pie.

verb (used without object)

snagged, snagging

1. to become entangled with some obstacle or hindrance.

2. to become tangled.

   This line snags every time I cast.

3. (of a boat) to strike a snag.

4. to form a snag.

snag British  

/ snæɡ /

noun

1. a difficulty or disadvantage

   the snag is that I have nothing suitable to wear

2. a sharp protuberance, such as a tree stump

3. a small loop or hole in a fabric caused by a sharp object

4. engineering a projection that brings to a stop a sliding or rotating component

5. a tree stump in a riverbed that is dangerous to navigation

6. a standing dead tree, esp one used as a perch by an eagle

7. slang (plural) sausages

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verb

1. (tr) to hinder or impede

2. (tr) to tear or catch (fabric)

3. (intr) to develop a snag

4. (intr) (of a boat) to strike or be damaged by a snag

5. (tr) to clear (a stretch of water) of snags

6. (tr) to seize (an opportunity, benefit, etc)

snag Idioms  

1. see hit a snag.

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Other Word Forms

• snaglike
  adjective
• unsnagged
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of snag

First recorded in 1570–80, snag is from the Old Norse word snagi point, projection

Explanation

A snag is something sharp that sticks out, like a splinter or a dead tree branch. It’s also a hitch in a plan. If you develop a terrible cat allergy, your lifelong dream of being a cat trainer has hit a snag. A snag is something that you get stuck on, either literally or figuratively. If you catch your tights on a snag and change into different ones, it might put a snag in your plans to dress all in pink for the day. When something's caught this way, it snags. Snag, a U.S. coinage, was first used when steamboats got stuck on a log or branch in the river: "Captain, we've hit a snag!"

Example Sentences

Appeared in the February 24, 2026, print edition as 'Airline Carbon-Offset Plan Hits Snag'.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026

The morning the housing project was approved, Shadow’s beating wings could be heard before he flew by a tree dubbed Lookout Snag.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 10, 2025

But it only had grounds to investigate eight complaints and none were about Snag.

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2025

Snag tickets to see the rapper at a smaller venue before he starts making his way into stadiums.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 27, 2019

“Yep. Snag him, Lula. He’s the pick of the litter.”

From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly

Related Words

• barrier
• bug
• crunch
• difficulty
• disadvantage
• drawback
• glitch
• hitch
• holdup
• hurdle
• impediment
• inconvenience
• obstacle
• stumbling block