Snap (Verb)
Meaning 1
Close with a snapping motion; "The lock snapped shut".
Classification
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..
Examples
- The lid snapped shut as she put the jar away in the cupboard.
- She snapped the buckle on her seatbelt after strapping herself in.
- The trap snapped closed, catching the unwanted pest.
- The hunter's fingers snapped the rubber band to power the homemade sling.
- The farmer's fingers snapped an icy twig from the frozen tree branch.
Hypernyms
Related Words
Meaning 2
Move or strike with a noise; "he clicked on the light"; "his arm was snapped forward".
Classification
Verbs of walking, flying, swimming.
Examples
- The firework exploded in the air and a flame snap forward.
- A loud snap echoed through the forest as a tree branch broke.
- Her fingers snap together to signal the start of the concert.
- The car door shut with a sharp snap as he got in and started the engine.
- His fingers didn't snap together loudly this time as he did it more slowly.
Synonyms
Related Words
Meaning 3
Put in play with a snap; "snap a football".
Classification
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.
Examples
- The quarterback prepared to snap the football to the running back on the next play.
- To start the game, the center will snap the ball to the quarterback.
- With a loud voice, the coach yelled for the center to snap the ball.
- In this variation of the play, the ball is snapped directly to the fullback.
- After hiking the ball, the center proceeded to snap it to the waiting quarterback.
Related Words
Meaning 4
Move with a snapping sound; "bullets snapped past us".
Classification
Verbs of walking, flying, swimming.
Examples
- A twig snapped under her foot as she walked through the forest.
- The crackers snapped loudly as they were broken open.
- Bullets snapped past us, barely missing their target.
- The door snapped shut behind her, trapping her inside the room.
- The farmer's whip snapped through the air, prompting the horse to move faster.
Related Words
Meaning 5
Cause to make a snapping sound; "snap your fingers".
Classification
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.
Examples
- To signal for quiet, the conductor raised his hands and snapped his fingers.
- Snap the twigs in half to make a fire pit.
- She was lost in thought and then snapped back to reality when someone called her name.
- Snap the plastic toy together quickly to form a single piece.
- The whip cracked and snapped through the air, leaving a trail of sparks.
Synonyms
Related Words
Meaning 6
Record on photographic film; "I photographed the scene of the accident"; "She snapped a picture of the President".
Classification
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing.
Examples
- She snapped a picture of the beautiful sunset to post on her social media.
- He snapped a quick photo of the celebrity walking by.
- The tourist snapped a selfie with the iconic landmark in the background.
- I snapped a moment of pure joy when the couple exchanged their vows.
- The paparazzo snapped a photo of the actress as she walked out of the restaurant.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
Related Words
Meaning 7
Make a sharp sound; "his fingers snapped".
Classification
Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling.
Examples
- The branch snapped loudly under her feet as she walked through the forest.
- He snapped his fingers to get the attention of the waiter.
- The firework exploded in the air and snapped with a deafening sound.
- The ice beneath him snapped and he fell into the icy water.
- A tree limb snapped in the strong wind and landed on the roof.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Related Words
Meaning 8
Bring the jaws together; "he snapped indignantly".
Classification
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.
Examples
- She snapped her fingers to get the attention of her dog.
- The alligator's powerful jaws snapped shut just inches from the diver's face.
- He snapped irritably at his brother for making too much noise.
- When the photo opportunity was presented she snapped a quick picture with her phone.
- The big nutcracker snapped the pecan in half with a loud crunch.
Hypernyms
Meaning 9
Separate or cause to separate abruptly; "The rope snapped"; "tear the paper".
Classification
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.
Examples
- The sudden force caused the branch to snap from the rest of the tree.
- The thin thread snapped under the weight of the heavy load.
- She heard a loud snap when she finally managed to tear open the stubborn package.
- The wire snapped and the lights went out immediately.
- The rubber band will snap if you stretch it too far.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
Related Words
Meaning 10
To grasp hastily or eagerly; "Before I could stop him the dog snatched the ham bone".
Classification
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.
Examples
- The angry customer would snap up any deal that seemed better than the current offer on the table.
- The kids would snap up the free candies as soon as they were placed on the treat table.
- She couldn't resist, and her hand would snap out to grab the phone before the person calling hung up.
- The early-riser investor would snap up the undervalued stocks before anyone else had the chance.
- The news reporter would snap on her headphones as soon as she received the cue to start the live broadcast.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
Related Words
Meaning 11
Utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone; "The sales clerk snapped a reply at the angry customer"; "The guard snarled at us".
Classification
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing.
Examples
- The coach snapped orders at his team members to pick up their pace during the intense practice session.
- She snapped a curt reply at her sister before storming out of the room.
- The teacher snapped a stern reminder to the student for talking during class.
- He snapped an angry retort at his boss, standing up for himself in the tense meeting.
- The customer snapped a rude comment at the waiter, unhappy with the service at the restaurant.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Meaning 12
Lose control of one's emotions; "When she heard that she had not passed the exam, she lost it completely"; "When her baby died, she snapped".
Classification
Verbs of feeling.
Examples
- When the news of her husband's affair reached her, she snapped and became violent.
- He was on edge for weeks after his mother passed away and eventually snapped when a friend made an insensitive comment.
- The stress at work finally took its toll on her, and after a confrontation with her boss, she snapped in front of her colleagues.
- The quarterback snapped under the pressure and threw an interception in the final seconds of the game.
- The young teacher struggled to cope with the loss of her student and eventually snapped in tears during class.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
Meaning 13
Break suddenly and abruptly, as under tension; "The pipe snapped".
Classification
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..
Examples
- The rope holding the load snapped under pressure and sent everything crashing to the ground.
- The twig snapped as it bent, revealing the brittle wood within.
- As she pulled the stick too far, it snapped back into place with a loud crack.
- When the bowstring was pulled too tight, it suddenly snapped and stung her fingers.
- The pencil snapped in her hand as she applied too much pressure while writing.