snail 1 of 2

snail

2 of 2

verb

as in to drag
to move slowly the highway construction work created a bottleneck that had cars snailing for the next five miles

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of snail
Noun
But, somehow, life finds a way: The seafloor was crawling with critters of all shapes and sizes, from centuries-old sponges and cup corals to octopuses, snails, worms, sea spiders, icefish and even a rare giant phantom jellyfish. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Mar. 2025 Mount Helix takes its name from the helix aspersa, a European garden snail that a Swiss biologist discovered in the area in 1872. Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2025
Verb
What can snail mucin do for your skin? Lacey Muinos, Health, 13 Feb. 2023 Davison and the scientists bred the lefty snails together, and over three years, nearly 15,000 eggs were hatched from four generations of snails, including Jeremy. Kristen Rogers, CNN, 2 June 2020 See All Example Sentences for snail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for snail
Noun
  • The campground setting has a primeval feel, situated in dense old growth forest along the scenic Smith River, where banana slugs frolic (okay, maybe move slowly and strangely).
    Jenna Blough, Outside Online, 8 Apr. 2025
  • Witnessing Shohei Ohtani slug a walk-off home run on the night he’s honored with his own bobblehead: priceless!
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The longer the trade war drags on, the more likely Washington and Beijing will find other ways to retaliate beyond economics.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Paleontologists used to wonder if some marine reptiles did the same, awkwardly dragging themselves onto beaches to lay eggs rather than birthing their young at sea like whales do.
    Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The oil will smother active and recently settled crawlers.
    Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 6 Apr. 2025
  • Read the Docs dramatically cut its bandwidth costs after blocking AI crawlers.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 2 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Simply fill the moat with water to keep unwanted pests from crawling down to the nectar ports.
    Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 12 Apr. 2025
  • And setting your baby down on the ground to crawl around isn’t the cleanest option.
    BestReviews, Mercury News, 11 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Retired or not, the world’s greatest quarterback does not have the luxury to indulge in sequential action—one thing at a time is for slowpokes and losers.
    Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 25 Jan. 2025
  • One group of 15 female rats, brighter in color than the rest, kept zooming past the others to make it into the houses first, making the rest of their furry colleagues look like slowpokes.
    Laura Bradley, Vulture, 17 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • This creeping groundcover thrives in dappled shade and is a good choice for the front of a perennial border or growing between trees and shrubs in a woodland garden.
    Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Beyond that, temperatures will creep above normal into the weekend and early next week.
    Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Antetokounmpo poked the ball away from Nembhard briefly and a scramble ensued, but the Pacers came up with the ball.
    Eric Nehm, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2025
  • The eye poke left Muhammad unable to continue, and the fight was ruled a no contest.
    Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Teams that pushed boundaries more than two decades ago would be considered laggards today.
    Christian Clark, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025
  • Yet, without embracing the risk of failure, companies risk becoming laggards in a fast-pacing market.
    Jessica Mendoza, Forbes.com, 1 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Snail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snail. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.

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