to snarl up

Examples

• All

• Let them get all snarled up in their dreary hive.

  Across the Universe (2007)

• I'd like to, but it might snarl things up.

  It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963)

• Hey, Sefton, what's snarling up the traffic?

  Stalag 17 (1953)

• It gets snarled up with flotsam, Uncle Frank goes in the water to free it, gets shot, and the girls have to finish the job under fire.

  Their Finest (2017)

• Heavy rains snarled up the traffic, causing many drivers to arrive late.

• If we take that route, it may snarl up the entire journey due to construction.

• The accident on the main road snarled up traffic for several hours.

Synonyms

M

to mix up

vsto snarl up

• Informal

65 2.7

To make people confused and things messy

creates tangled complications that specifically impede making progress

M

to mess up

vsto snarl up

• Informal

52 3.0

To make something untidy, dirty, or not in the right place

causes confusion that more often hinders progress than mere disorder

T

to tangle

vsto snarl up

28 4.7

To make a story or idea hard to understand

leads to confusion that specifically makes moving forward difficult

J

to jumble

vsto snarl up

22 3.8

Mix things together in a confused way

creates complexity that also blocks or delays practical forward movement

C

to clog up

vsto snarl up

9 3.7

To block a drain or road so things cannot move through it

produces complication focused on delaying progress rather than literal blockage

M

to muddy the waters

vsto snarl up

• Informal

7 7.2

Make a topic more confusing by adding unclear details

creates confusion that more directly blocks progress or action

S

to snarl

vsto snarl up

6 7.1

To make something more confused or tangled

creates confusion that mainly stops or delays forward movement

G

to gum up

vsto snarl up

• Informal

6 7.2

To make moving parts stuck with dirt or glue so they stop working

creates confusion that hinders progress rather than physically blocking movement

K

to knot

vsto snarl up

2 6.5

To make something tangled and difficult to understand

causes confusion that mainly stops progress rather than just messyness

E

to embrangle

vsto snarl up

• Archaic

9.9

To make something more confused or tangled

causes confusion that specifically slows or blocks further progress

R

to ravel

vsto snarl up

8.4

To make a situation or story more confusing

produces complications that hinder progress rather than mere disorder

R

to remuddle the issue

vsto snarl up

9.3

To make a problem more confusing instead of clearer

causes entanglement that tends to obstruct progress rather than clarify

M

to muddy up

vsto snarl up

• Informal

6.7

To make an idea or situation unclear and confusing

produces confusion that specifically slows or prevents further progress

S

to snafu

vsto snarl up

• Slang

9.9

To make a plan or process become confused and fail

causes confusion mainly through mistakes not necessarily by blocking progress

C

to crap up

vsto snarl up

• Offensive

9.9

To become blocked or cause a block by dirt and grease

creates confusing, tangled problems instead of only blocking physical movement

Antonyms

F

to facilitate

• Formal

187 4.9

To make a task or process easier and help it happen

U

to untangle

10 3.5

To separate threads or cords that are twisted together

How Complicated

to entangle

24 6.3

to snarl up

• UK

1 7.8

to complicate

101 4.1

to tangle

28 4.7

to jam

13 4.4

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology