snap at

Idioms  

1. Speak irritably or abruptly to someone, as in This teacher was always snapping at the children. This use of snap transfers an animal's sudden bite at something to a verbal attack. [Late 1500s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

snap at

“Any number of us have had him push back or snap at a question that we’ve asked, or made a comment,” she said.

From Slate ● Aug. 18, 2026

Europe has witnessed strong withdrawals from storage facilities after a cold snap at the start of the year, with inventory levels now standing well below the five-year average.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 12, 2026

One former Treasury minister, Lord Bridges, told the Lords: "This is not a fiscal buffer; it is a fiscal wafer, so thin and fragile that it will snap at the slightest tap."

From BBC ● Nov. 22, 2025

Harley is a rescue hound, of indeterminate but clearly mixed breed, who is given to leaping in the air to snap at moths and making vain but enthusiastic attempts to catch lizards.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2025

"What about you? I've seen you in the market. You can lift hundredpound bags of flour," I snap at him.

From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins

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