snag
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.
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.
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.
Origin of snag
1Other words from snag
- snaglike, adjective
- un·snagged, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use snag in a sentence
The result is that political and bureaucratic snags have dimmed the glow, for now, of the historic scientific achievement of developing vaccines in record time to protect against a new and deadly disease.
Fairfax County’s vaccination plan hit a serious snag Monday, when a sudden depletion of Virginia’s vaccine supply forced officials to unexpectedly cancel the scheduled inoculations of roughly 15,000 Fairfax staffers.
Teachers are moving to the front of the vaccine line — but that doesn’t mean all schools will reopen right away | Hannah Natanson, Donna St. George, Perry Stein | January 26, 2021 | Washington PostOn the heels of the pandemic to the election cycle, Thanksgiving and Christmas couldn’t come sooner and if you’re in the mood for early holiday shopping, this season is filled with sales and seasonal snags that are almost too good to pass up.
AstraZeneca Plc’s coronavirus shot could be ready for large-scale vaccinations as early as this year, Chief Executive Officer Pascal Soriot said, dismissing reports of delays and production snags.
AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID vaccine on track for year end, CEO Pascal Soriot says | Bernhard Warner | November 5, 2020 | FortuneThat shortened, rounded cable makes snags almost disappear, and the controls built onto the earbuds themselves solve the problem of searching for any sort of control node attached to the aforementioned cable.
Apple's New Powerbeats Are OK, But Design Flaws Keep Them From Greatness | Patrick Lucas Austin | March 27, 2020 | Time
The film has already snagged an audience award at Sundance, and will open theatrically on Sept. 12 in New York.
He snagged the best actor award at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival for In the Mood for Love.
Tony Leung on His Journey to Kung Fu Spirituality in ‘The Grandmaster’ | Jean Trinh | August 24, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTIn reality, Lochte snagged two gold, two silver and one bronze.
Ryan Lochte: Sex, Swimming & More Crazy Things From Reality TV Trailer | Anna Klassen | March 26, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTIn 2004 Pete Cabrinha snagged a “bomb,” but realized it only after watching the video.
Bremer also snagged an award from the Minnesota chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists in June.
It was about twenty feet from him when he snagged it, and it was still twenty feet away.
Bill Bruce on Forest Patrol | Henry Harley ArnoldDirectly ahead, the truant paddle had snagged against a log which protruded from the water.
Dan Carter and the Great Carved Face | Mildred A. WirtThe fish was snagged in the middle of the body and, accordingly, could use all its power against the pull on the line.
Bill Bruce on Forest Patrol | Henry Harley ArnoldIt is my guess that the instant you heave alongside you will be snagged with boat hooks by the men on her deck.
Cappy Ricks Retires | Peter B. KyneShe snagged a piano and pounded out barrelhouse runs in quirky time as I carried the main thread of the movement on a cello.
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom | Cory Doctorow
British Dictionary definitions for snag
/ (snæɡ) /
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
mainly US and Canadian a tree stump in a riverbed that is dangerous to navigation
US and Canadian a standing dead tree, esp one used as a perch by an eagle
(plural) Australian slang sausages
(tr) to hinder or impede
(tr) to tear or catch (fabric)
(intr) to develop a snag
(intr) mainly US and Canadian (of a boat) to strike or be damaged by a snag
(tr) mainly US and Canadian to clear (a stretch of water) of snags
(tr) US to seize (an opportunity, benefit, etc)
Origin of snag
1Derived forms of snag
- snaglike, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with snag
see hit a snag.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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