1
: a concealed or unexpected difficulty or obstacle
2
a
: an irregularity that suggests the result of tearing
especially
: a pulled thread in fabric
a snag in her stocking
b
: a jagged tear made by or as if by catching on a snag
3
: a rough sharp or jagged projecting part : protuberance: such as
a
: a projecting tooth
also
: a stump of a tooth
b
: one of the secondary branches of an antler
4
a
: a standing dead tree
b
: a tree or branch embedded in a lake or stream bed and constituting a hazard to navigation
snagged; snagging
1
a
: to catch and usually damage on or as if on a snag
b
: to halt or impede as if by catching on a snag
2
: to catch or obtain usually by quick action or good fortune
3
: to hew, trim, or cut roughly or jaggedly
4
: to clear (something, such as a river) of snags
Examples of snag in a Sentence
Noun
I caught my sleeve on a snag and tore it.
My sweater has a snag where I caught it on a nail.
Verb
I snagged my favorite sweater on a nail.
The shortstop snagged the grounder.
The police snagged the suspect as he was trying to run away.
I managed to snag the information I needed from the Internet.
Can I snag a ride from you?
Recent Examples on the Web
Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 15 June 2025
The couple reached the church before Pages of Honor like Prince George, and there was another snag in the schedule.
—Janine Henni, People.com, 14 June 2025
Eric Olson, Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2025
The bunt went up, about a third of the way down the baseline and Balducci dove, snagging it with his glove just before his outstretched body hit the dirt base path.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 15 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for snag
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Rory McIlroy’s dealings with the media drew a response from golf influencer Paige Spiranac as the Northern Irishman’s pursuit of another major title hit a major snag at the U.S. Open.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 15 June 2025
The couple reached the church before Pages of Honor like Prince George, and there was another snag in the schedule.
—Janine Henni, People.com, 14 June 2025
Verb
Robinett snagged the ball and touched the bag for the last out of the seventh.
—Eric Olson, Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2025
The bunt went up, about a third of the way down the baseline and Balducci dove, snagging it with his glove just before his outstretched body hit the dirt base path.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 15 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for snag
Cite this Entry
“Snag.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/snag. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
snag
1 of 2 noun1
a
: a tree or branch when stuck underwater and not visible from the surface
b
: a standing dead tree
2
: an uneven or broken part sticking out from a smooth surface
caught my sweater on a snag
3
: a concealed or unexpected difficulty
our plans hit a snag
snag
2 of 2 verb
snagged; snagging
: to catch on or as if on a snag
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share