Library / English Dictionary

SNARL

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Something jumbled or confused

Example:

a tangle of government regulations

Synonyms:

maze; snarl; tangle

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Hypernyms ("snarl" is a kind of...):

perplexity (trouble or confusion resulting from complexity)

Derivation:

snarl (make more complicated or confused through entanglements)

snarl (twist together or entwine into a confusing mass)

snarly (tangled in knots or snarls)

Sense 2

Meaning:

An angry vicious expression

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("snarl" is a kind of...):

facial expression; facial gesture (a gesture executed with the facial muscles)

Derivation:

snarl (utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A vicious angry growl

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("snarl" is a kind of...):

utterance; vocalization (the use of uttered sounds for auditory communication)

Derivation:

snarl (utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone)

snarl (make a snarling noise or move with a snarling noise)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Make more complicated or confused through entanglements

Synonyms:

embrangle; snarl; snarl up

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "snarl" is one way to...):

complicate; perplex (make more complicated)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "snarl"):

snafu (cause to be in a state of complete confusion)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

snarl (something jumbled or confused)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone

Example:

The guard snarled at us

Synonyms:

snap; snarl

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "snarl" is one way to...):

mouth; speak; talk; utter; verbalise; verbalize (express in speech)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Sentence examples:

Sam and Sue snarl

They snarl that there was a traffic accident

Derivation:

snarl (an angry vicious expression)

snarl (a vicious angry growl)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Make a snarling noise or move with a snarling noise

Example:

Bullets snarled past us

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "snarl" is one way to...):

go; sound (make a certain noise or sound)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Derivation:

snarl (a vicious angry growl)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Twist together or entwine into a confusing mass

Example:

The child entangled the cord

Synonyms:

entangle; mat; snarl; tangle

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "snarl" is one way to...):

distort; twine; twist (form into a spiral shape)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "snarl"):

felt (mat together and make felt-like)

enmesh; ensnarl; mesh (entangle or catch in (or as if in) a mesh)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sentence example:

They snarl their hair

Antonym:

unsnarl (extricate from entanglement)

Derivation:

snarl (something jumbled or confused)

Credits

 Context examples: 

The thing moved forward with a dreadful snarl.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

An AVM is a snarled tangle of arteries and veins.

(Arteriovenous Malformations, NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)

"Robber!" Mr. Ends snarled after him.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

It is a foul, snorting, snarling manner of speech.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The other snarled aloud into a savage laugh; and the next moment, with extraordinary quickness, he had unlocked the door and disappeared into the house.

(The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

You senseless goose! snarled the dwarf; why should you fetch someone?

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

But the Lion explained that the animals were holding a meeting, and he judged by their snarling and growling that they were in great trouble.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

Well, I won't, but I hate to see things going all crisscross and getting snarled up, when a pull here and a snip there would straighten it out.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

The dogs dashed on, but at the threshold suddenly stopped and snarled, and then, simultaneously lifting their noses, began to howl in most lugubrious fashion.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

“Couldn’t you?” he snarled.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)