Definition

1. Noun:

   • A tangled or knotted mass: A confused, complicated, or twisted state, often of physical things like hair, thread, or traffic.
   • A vicious, angry growl: The sound made by an animal, especially a dog, when showing aggression.
   • An angry, sharp utterance: A harsh, aggressive, or bad-tempered manner of speaking.

2. Verb:

   • To growl aggressively: To make a deep, threatening sound while showing the teeth, as a dog does.
   • To speak in a harsh, angry tone: To utter words sharply and irritably.
   • To tangle or complicate: To make something twisted, knotted, or confused.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:

  • The traffic snarl added an hour to our commute. (The tangled, congested traffic added an hour to our commute.)
  • The dog let out a warning snarl. (The dog made a warning growl.)
  • He answered my question with a snarl. (He answered my question with a sharp, angry tone.)

• Verb:

  • The wolf snarled at the intruders. (The wolf growled aggressively at the intruders.)
  • "Get out!" he snarled. (He said "Get out!" in a harsh, angry voice.)
  • The fishing line snarled in the reel. (The fishing line became tangled in the reel.)

Advanced Usage

• "to snarl up": To cause something to become tangled or severely congested.

  • The accident snarled up traffic for miles. (The accident caused traffic to become congested for miles.)

• "to snarl out": To say something in a snarling manner.

  • He snarled out his objections. (He expressed his objections in a harsh, angry tone.)

Variants and Related Words

• Snarled (adj): Tangled or knotted.
  • She tried to comb her snarled hair.
• Snarly (adj): Inclined to snarl; irritable.
  • He's in a snarly mood today.

Synonyms

• Noun (tangle): Knot, entanglement, maze, web.
• Noun (growl): Growl, grumble, gnarl.
• Verb (growl): Growl, gnarl, grumble.
• Verb (speak harshly): Snap, bark, lash out.
• Verb (tangle): Entangle, knot, twist, complicate.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Snarl up: To tangle or obstruct completely.
  • The fallen tree snarled up the railway lines. (The fallen tree completely obstructed the railway lines.)

Related Idioms

• A snarl of bureaucracy: A confusing and complicated system of official rules and procedures.
  • Getting a permit involved navigating a snarl of bureaucracy. (Getting a permit involved dealing with a confusingly complex system of official rules.)

Noun

1. something jumbled or confused
   • a tangle of government regulations
2. an angry vicious expression
3. a vicious angry growl

Verb

1. make more complicated or confused through entanglements
2. twist together or entwine into a confusing mass
   • The child entangled the cord
3. make a snarling noise or move with a snarling noise
   • Bullets snarled past us
4. utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone
   • The sales clerk snapped a reply at the angry customer
   • The guard snarled at us