snarl
snarl Lexical Profile
snarl Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An aggressive growl with bared teeth, or a surly, angry remark made by a person.
"The stray dog gave a low snarl when we approached its food bowl."
A confused, knotted, or tangled mass, such as of hair, thread, or congested traffic.
"She spent ten minutes brushing out a stubborn snarl in her hair."
• verb
To make an aggressive growl with bared teeth (typically of an animal).
"The wolf began to snarl as the rival pack neared its territory."
To say something in an angry, bad-tempered, or aggressive voice.
"The frustrated customer began to snarl at the cashier over the delayed refund."
To entangle, knot, or throw into disorder or congestion (often used with 'up').
"An overturned delivery truck threatened to snarl morning traffic across the bridge."
• Rhymes for snarl
Word Origin & Etymology
The word represents a convergence of two distinct etymological roots: the sense of growling derives from late 16th-century Low German 'snarren' (to rattle or growl, of imitative origin), while the sense of tangling derives from 14th-century Middle English as a diminutive or frequentative of 'snare'.