: either of two large American freshwater turtles (family Chelydridae) with a large head, powerful jaws, a long tail, and a strong musky odor:
a
: one (Chelydra serpentina) that has the head covered with smooth skin, has large plates in a double row on the underside of the tail, and is distributed from eastern Canada to Central America
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On our first trip, the groundskeepers at the family-friendly Caribe Hilton kindly looked the other way when my neurodivergent child climbed over a barricade to get a closer look at a snapping turtle.—Melissa Petro, Travel + Leisure, 19 Feb. 2026 The former medical examiner noted that evidence indicates Quatisha was bitten by other marine animals, including a snapping turtle.—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 23 Jan. 2026 Namely, an orange snapping turtle inspired by our current president.—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Jan. 2026 Meats run the gamut from bison and elk to exotic options like antelope, rabbit, rattlesnake, wild boar, yak, kangaroo, ostrich and snapping turtle.—Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 27 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for snapping turtle