SNARL

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does snarl mean? 

• SNARL (noun)
  The noun SNARL has 3 senses:

1. a vicious angry growl

2. an angry vicious expression

3. something jumbled or confused

  Familiarity information: SNARL used as a noun is uncommon.

• SNARL (verb)
  The verb SNARL has 4 senses:

1. utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone

2. make a snarling noise or move with a snarling noise

3. twist together or entwine into a confusing mass

4. make more complicated or confused through entanglements

  Familiarity information: SNARL used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SNARL (noun)

Sense 1

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)

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:

Something jumbled or confused

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

maze; snarl; tangle

Context example:

a tangle of government regulations

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)

• SNARL (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they snarl    ... he / she / it snarls   
Past simple: snarled   
Past participle: snarled   
-ing form: snarling   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

snap; snarl

Context example:

The guard snarled at us

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 2

Meaning:

Make a snarling noise or move with a snarling noise

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Context example:

Bullets snarled past us

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 3

Meaning:

Twist together or entwine into a confusing mass

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

entangle; mat; snarl; tangle

Context example:

The child entangled the cord

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)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Make more complicated or confused through entanglements

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

embrangle; snarl; snarl up

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)

 Context examples 

“I suppose you know all about it,” he snarled.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

There was a great snarling and yelping.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

The hungry face of the stranger-man is still snarling as he falls forward into the snow.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

He sprang back, bristling and snarling, fearful of the unseen and unknown.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

Holmes plunged his eager hand into it and drew it out with a bitter snarl of anger and disappointment.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

This door was open; a light shone out of the room within: I heard thence a snarling, snatching sound, almost like a dog quarrelling.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Umble! he repeated, looking at me, with a snarl; I've umbled some of 'em for a pretty long time back, umble as I was!

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

His back was toward me, and at the first feel of my hand he leaped upright in the air and away from me, snarling and turning his head as he leaped.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

“Oh, you do, do you?” he snarls.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Then, with a snarl of anger, he left me and entered the cottage from which I had just come.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)