[syn: snarl, snarl up, embrangle]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Snarl \Snarl\, v. t. [From Snare, v. t.]
1. To entangle; to complicate; to involve in knots; as, to
snarl a skein of thread. "Her snarled hair." --Spenser.
[1913 Webster]
2. To embarrass; to insnare.
[1913 Webster]
[The] question that they would have snarled him
with. --Latimer.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Snarl \Snarl\, n.
A knot or complication of hair, thread, or the like,
difficult to disentangle; entanglement; hence, intricate
complication; embarrassing difficulty.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Snarl \Snarl\, v. i. [From Snar.]
1. To growl, as an angry or surly dog; to gnarl; to utter
grumbling sounds. "An angry cur snarls while he feeds."
--Dryden & Lee.
[1913 Webster]
2. To speak crossly; to talk in rude, surly terms.
[1913 Webster]
It is malicious and unmanly to snarl at the little
lapses of a pen, from which Virgil himself stands
not exempted. --Dryden.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Snarl \Snarl\, n.
The act of snarling; a growl; a surly or peevish expression;
an angry contention.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Snarl \Snarl\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Snarled; p. pr. & vvb. n.
Snarling.] [Etymol. uncertain.]
To form raised work upon the outer surface of (thin metal
ware) by the repercussion of a snarling iron upon the inner
surface.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
snarl
n 1: a vicious angry growl
2: an angry vicious expression
3: something jumbled or confused; "a tangle of government
regulations" [syn: tangle, snarl, maze]
v 1: utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone; "The sales clerk
snapped a reply at the angry customer"; "The guard snarled
at us" [syn: snap, snarl]
2: make a snarling noise or move with a snarling noise; "Bullets
snarled past us"
3: twist together or entwine into a confusing mass; "The child
entangled the cord" [syn: entangle, tangle, mat,
snarl] [ant: disentangle, straighten out, unsnarl]
4: make more complicated or confused through entanglements [syn:
snarl, snarl up, embrangle]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
248 Moby Thesaurus words for "snarl":
Chinese puzzle, Gordian knot, Rube Goldberg contraption, allure,
altercation, argument, ataxia, bait the hook, ball up, bark, bawl,
belch, bellow, bicker, birdlime, blare, blat, blood feud, blubber,
boom, brawl, bray, breathe, broil, burden, burr, buzz, cackle,
can of worms, catch, catch out, caw, chant, chaos, chirp, chirr,
clang, clangor, clank, clash, clutter, color, complex, complexity,
complicate, complication, confound, confuse, contention,
controversy, coo, cramp, craunch, cripple, croak, crow, crump,
crunch, cumber, decoy, difficulty, dilemma, disarray, disorder,
dispute, donnybrook, donnybrook fair, drawl, embarrass, embrangle,
embroilment, encumber, enmesh, ensnare, ensnarl, entangle,
entanglement, entoil, entrammel, entrap, entwine, enweb, exclaim,
fetter, feud, fight, fix, fliting, flush, flute, foul up, fracas,
frown, fuss, gasp, gin, glare, glower, gnarl, grimace, grind,
groan, growl, grumble, grunt, hamper, hamstring, handicap, hiss,
hobble, hook, hook in, howl, huddle, imbroglio, impede, implicate,
intricacy, intricateness, inveigle, involve, jam, jangle, jar,
jungle, keen, kink, knot, labyrinth, lame, lilt, lime, logomachy,
look daggers, louse up, lower, lumber, lure, mantle, maze, meander,
mesh, mess, mess up, mishmash, mix up, moan, morass, moue, mow,
muck up, muddle, mumble, murmur, mutter, net, noose, open quarrel,
pant, perplex, pickle, pipe, polemic, pout, predicament,
press down, problem, quandary, quarrel, ramify, rasp, ravel,
redden, rictus, roar, rumble, saddle with, scowl, scramble,
scranch, scrape, scratch, scream, screech, screw up, scrunch,
shackle, sharp words, shriek, sibilate, sigh, sing, skein,
slanging match, snafu, snag, snake pit, snap, snare, snarl up,
sniggle, snore, snort, sob, sough, spat, spit, spread the toils,
squabble, squall, squawk, squeal, strife, swarm, tangle,
tangled skein, thunder, tiff, tight spot, toil, topsy-turviness,
trammel, trap, trip, trumpet, tussle, twang, twist, vendetta, wail,
warble, web, webwork, weigh down, wheels within wheels, whine,
whisper, whistle, wilderness, wind, words, wrangle, wry face,
wry mouth, yap, yawp, yell, yelp