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Glite Dictionary
to snow out

to snow out

6.8
To miss or cancel an event because heavy snow makes travel unsafe
  • phrasal verb
  • US
translation icon : cancelar por nieve
  • Looks like a big turnout for my next Global Cooling lecture—unless it gets snowed out!
  • get snowed out

Examples

  • - The game was snowed out, Ralphie.

    Deterrence (2000)

  • The soccer match was snowed out due to heavy snowfall, leaving the players disappointed.

  • We had to cancel our picnic because it got snowed out by the sudden winter storm.

  • Her outdoor wedding was snowed out, so they quickly moved it inside the hall.

Synonyms

to rain out
vsto snow out
  • US
4 4.6

To cancel an event like a game or concert because of rain

applies to cancellations caused by various bad weather not only wet conditions
to wash out
vsto snow out
  • UK
1 4.4

Cancel an outdoor event because of heavy rain

is used for cancellations caused by a wider range of bad weather

Antonyms

to attend
∞ 1.7

To be present at a meeting or event

to participate
866 2.5

To join in an activity with other people

How Disrupted

to cancel
814 1.0
to snow out
  • US
6.8
to postpone
234 3.4
to delay
562 1.4
to go ahead
∞ 2.3

Surface Forms

snow out infinitive
snowed out past
snowed out past participle
snowing out present participle
snows out third person singular

Morphology

snow + out

The meaning 'to be forced to miss or cancel an event because of snow' is directly composed from 'snow' (weather causing disruption) + 'out' (excluded/no longer happening); the particle 'out' signals being prevented or left out. This follows a common English pattern (be "Xed out") and is likely inferable by a B1 learner who knows the constituent words.

Etymology

Snow out comes from the picture of heavy snow keeping people out of a place: roads, doors, and parking can be covered so people cannot get in. So when an event is snowed out, it is 'cancelled' or people are 'forced to miss' it.