Listen:
Inflections of 'snag ' (v ): (⇒ conjugate )snags v 3rd person singular snagging v pres p snagged v past snagged v past p
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025 snag /snæg/USA pronunciation
n., v., snagged, snag•ging. n. [ countable ]
something that is sharp and sticks out.
a hole, tear, or run in a fabric, caused by catching on something that sticks out.
anything that gets in the way of progress:Our plans hit a snag when our best player broke her leg.
v. [ ~ + object]
to catch on a snag:snagging her clothing on the branches.
to grab; seize:The shortstop snagged a sharp line drive.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025 snag
(snag),USA pronunciation n., v., snagged, snag•ging. n.
a tree or part of a tree held fast in the bottom of a river, lake, etc., and forming an impediment or danger to navigation.
a short, projecting stump, as of a branch broken or cut off.
any sharp or rough projection.
a jagged hole, tear, pull, or run in a fabric, as caused by catching on a sharp projection.
any obstacle or impediment.
Dentistry a stump of a tooth or a projecting tooth; snaggletooth.
v.t.
to run or catch up on a snag.
to damage by so doing.
to obstruct or impede, as a snag does:He snagged all my efforts.
to grab; seize:to snag the last piece of pie.
v.i.
to become entangled with some obstacle or hindrance.
to become tangled:This line snags every time I cast.
Nautical, Naval Terms (of a boat) to strike a snag.
to form a snag.
Old Norse snagi point, projection 1570–80
snag′ like′ , adj.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
snag / snæɡ / a difficulty or disadvantage : the snag is that I have nothing suitable to wear a sharp protuberance, such as a tree stump a small loop or hole in a fabric caused by a sharp object a tree stump in a riverbed that is dangerous to navigation a standing dead tree, esp one used as a perch by an eagle (snags , snagging , snagged )(transitive ) to hinder or impede (transitive ) to tear or catch (fabric) (intransitive ) to develop a snag (intransitive ) (of a boat) to strike or be damaged by a snag (transitive ) to clear (a stretch of water) of snags (transitive ) to seize (an opportunity, benefit, etc) Etymology: 16th Century: of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Norse snaghyrndr sharp-pointed, Norwegian snage spike, Icelandic snagi peg
'snag ' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):