snooker
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
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snookers,
present (3rd person singular)
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snookered,
past participle, past
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snookering
present participle
noun
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a game played on a billiard table with 15 red balls, six balls of other colours, and a white cue ball. The object is to pot the balls in a certain order
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a shot in which the cue ball is left in a position such that another ball blocks the object ball. The opponent is then usually forced to play the cue ball off a cushion
verb
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to leave (an opponent) in an unfavourable position by playing a snooker
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to place (someone) in a difficult situation
-
(often passive) to thwart; defeat
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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snookersimple
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snookerssimple
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have snookeredperfect
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has snookeredperfect
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am snookeringprogressive
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are snookeringprogressive
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is snookeringprogressive
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have been snookeringperfect progressive
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has been snookeringperfect progressive
Past
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snookeredsimple
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had snookeredperfect
-
was snookeringprogressive
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were snookeringprogressive
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had been snookeringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of snooker
First recorded in 1885–90; origin uncertain
Vocabulary lists containing snooker
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.
See Examples For:
Boxing was dead, darts was non-existent, snooker was stuck in the air.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
To their presumable dismay, there are no scenes of the singer quitting the tour to go house-hunting, external; throwing snooker balls at Blur, external; or starting a fight on a cross-channel ferry.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
Barry Hearn is the founder and president of Matchroom Sport, one of the leading promoters across boxing, darts and snooker.
From BBC ● May 15, 2026
Barry is the founder and president of Matchroom Sport, one of the leading promoters in boxing, darts and snooker, while his son Eddie is chairman of the organisation.
From Barron's ● May 15, 2026
They settled instead on Hugh van Vliet’s place because it had a snooker table.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
Yet they end the evening level on points with Fire and needing snookers to qualify.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2025
A tense finish saw Trump make a 58 but then foul and leave a free ball with Day chasing snookers.
From BBC ● Jan. 11, 2023
With three episodes left, it seems odd that the writers devised a tale in which Saul snookers a mall cop with an oversized pastry.
From New York Times ● Jul. 25, 2022
We can be heard trying to shush them, and will continue to do so until the other teams need snookers.
From The Guardian ● Mar. 26, 2017
McIlroy’s 75 – including 37 putts – leaves him nine adrift and needing Sunday snookers.
From The Guardian ● May 14, 2016
Much of the debate on this topic has stirred fears that individual investors will be snookered.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 2, 2026
She absconded with money from Rupert Murdoch and the DeVos family and snookered people like Henry Kissinger, all of which is so funny that you almost want to root for her.
From Salon ● Jun. 14, 2022
Frost acknowledged he got snookered by new Illinois coach Bret Bielema, saying he and his offensive assistants were caught off guard when the Illini defense lined up with four linemen instead of three.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 30, 2021
Really candidly, in this rural community, I’ve been snookered by some people who basically say they’re doing good and they’re not.
From Washington Times ● May 9, 2021
“Okay, so the authorities are being snookered by these hidden messages. But how could they resist the facts? Show them your Receiver gizmo, Mr. Benedict. They’ll have to believe you.”
From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart
Leading 5-2, Murphy knocked in 15 reds and 15 blacks to reach 120 with only the colours remaining but ended up snookering himself behind the blue and the chance was lost.
From BBC ● Jan. 16, 2025
But the crypto implosion at least has a cleansing benefit: It offers an opportunity to mop up a speculative and overhyped mess that has gotten badly out of control, snookering gullible investors in the process.
From Washington Post ● May 20, 2022
David Hampton posed as the son of Sidney Poitier, snookering high-caste Manhattan.
From New York Times ● Sep. 17, 2011
But in seeking position on the green he needed to take the white around the table but lost position, snookering himself.
From The Guardian ● Apr. 17, 2010
But, as in any case of cloak-and-dagger, it's sometimes hard to tell exactly who's snookering whom.
From Time Magazine Archive
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