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Glite Dictionary
snarled

snarled

1 5.7
Tangled into messy knots that are hard to separate
  • adjective
  • /snɑrld/
: enredado
  • The snarled wires behind the television were difficult to separate.

Myth of Resurrection A Maple sapling sprouts erect amidst a snarling tangle of bare branches as I wait for the droops to uncoil.

Examples

  • Her hair was snarled after the windy day.

  • The snarled wires caused a short circuit.

  • He struggled to untie the snarled fishing lines in his tackle box.

  • Her hair became snarled after a windy walk along the beach.

  • The dog's leash became snarled around the fence, making it difficult for him to move.

  • After climbing through the bushes, her clothes were snarled with twigs and leaves.

  • The snarled wires on the floor created a hazard that everyone had to watch out for.

Synonyms

tangled
vssnarled
32 3.3

Twisted together in a messy mass that is hard to separate

emphasizes knots and tight interweaving rather than general twistedness
jumbled
vssnarled
18 3.8

Mixed together in a confused and untidy way

involves twisting and interlocking parts rather than mere messy mixing
scrambled
vssnarled
18 3.0

Mixed up in a confused way

refers to twisting and interlocking parts rather than plain mixing
matted
vssnarled
14 5.3

Tangled into a thick mass, like hair, fur, or leaves

is disorderly twisting with knots rather than dense clumping
knotted
vssnarled
5 3.9

Having rough, twisted bumps on wood or hands

describes disorderly interweaving in masses rather than surface bumps
knotty
vssnarled
3 7.0

Full of hard lumps and tangles, for example in wood or hair

is general disorderly twisting rather than focusing only on lumps
snarly
vssnarled
1 6.8

Tangled and full of knots like hair or thread

has identical meaning but is a different word form
tangly
vssnarled
1 5.1

Full of knots that are hard to undo, like in hair or yarn

describes a fixed disorderly mass often made of tight knots

Antonyms

organized
  • US
751 2.0

Having things in order so they are easy to find

untangled
1 3.4

Free of knots and twists and easy to separate or understand

How Tangled

matted
14 5.3
snarled
1 5.7
tangled
32 3.3
knotted
13 1.9
tousled
6 5.3

Surface Forms

snarled positive

Morphology

snarled = snarl (transparent) = snarl + ed

The adjective is a past-participial adjective formed from the verb 'snarl' meaning 'to tangle', so the meaning 'tangled' is directly derived and obvious.

Etymology

The word snarled comes from the older verb snarl, and a helpful way to remember it is to think of a snare, a trap that grabs lines and knots them together, so something snarled is 'tangled' or 'twisted together'.