snag
Americannoun
-
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.
-
a short, projecting stump, as of a branch broken or cut off.
-
any sharp or rough projection.
-
a jagged hole, tear, pull, or run in a fabric, as caused by catching on a sharp projection.
-
any obstacle or impediment.
-
a stump of a tooth or a projecting tooth; snaggletooth.
verb (used with object)
-
to run or catch up on a snag.
-
to damage by so doing.
-
to obstruct or impede, as a snag does.
He snagged all my efforts.
-
to grab; seize.
to snag the last piece of pie.
verb (used without object)
-
to become entangled with some obstacle or hindrance.
-
to become tangled.
This line snags every time I cast.
-
(of a boat) to strike a snag.
-
to form a snag.
noun
-
a difficulty or disadvantage
the snag is that I have nothing suitable to wear
-
a sharp protuberance, such as a tree stump
-
a small loop or hole in a fabric caused by a sharp object
-
engineering a projection that brings to a stop a sliding or rotating component
-
a tree stump in a riverbed that is dangerous to navigation
-
a standing dead tree, esp one used as a perch by an eagle
-
slang (plural) sausages
verb
-
(tr) to hinder or impede
-
(tr) to tear or catch (fabric)
-
(intr) to develop a snag
-
(intr) (of a boat) to strike or be damaged by a snag
-
(tr) to clear (a stretch of water) of snags
-
(tr) to seize (an opportunity, benefit, etc)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
snagsimple
-
snagssimple
-
have snaggedperfect
-
has snaggedperfect
-
am snaggingprogressive
-
are snaggingprogressive
-
is snaggingprogressive
-
have been snaggingperfect progressive
-
has been snaggingperfect progressive
Past
-
snaggedsimple
-
had snaggedperfect
-
was snaggingprogressive
-
were snaggingprogressive
-
had been snaggingperfect progressive
Future
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!"
Vocabulary lists containing snag
The Cay
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"The People Could Fly," Vocabulary from the folk tale
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But just when Gil's rescue seemed imminent, the rescuers hit yet another snag: the security guard's legs were stuck in a chair.
From Barron's • Jul. 7, 2026
As the company cements itself in the woman’s activewear segment, it is eyeing an expansion in Asia and could snag market share in the region from rivals like Lululemon and Alo Yoga.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 23, 2026
The user had promised to help snag good seats.
From BBC • Jun. 21, 2026
If that scenario plays out, Rocket Lab’s and Firefly’s medium-lift launch vehicles could snag more of the market, Leshock argues.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 15, 2026
One hunter walked over to the broken snag.
From "Where the Red Fern Grows" by Wilson Rawls
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
