snag

noun

/snæɡ/

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(informal) a problem or difficulty, especially one that is small, hidden or unexpected synonym difficulty
- There is just one small snag—where is the money coming from?
- Let me know if you run into any snags.
Extra Examples
- I suddenly saw a major snag with the whole idea.
- The only snag is the price.
- There are a few snags to iron out before the prototype is ready.
- There is a snag to the job: you have to work at weekends.
- We've hit a technical snag—the printer isn't compatible with my PC.
- The only snag with the course is that it's quite short.
Topics Difficulty and failurec2
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- big
- major
- little
- …
verb + snag
- hit
- run into
preposition
- snag in
- snag on
- snag to
- …
See full entry
an object or a part of an object that is rough or sharp and may cut something
- Check all surfaces for snags and rough edges.
(Australian English, New Zealand English, informal) a sausage

Word Originnoun senses 1 to 2 late 16th cent. (in sense (2) of the noun): probably of Scandinavian origin. The early sense ‘stump sticking out from a tree trunk’ gave rise to a US sense ‘submerged piece of timber obstructing navigation’, of which sense 1 is originally a figurative use. Current verb senses arose in the 19th cent. noun sense 3 1940s: of unknown origin.

snag

verb

/snæɡ/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they snag	/snæɡ/ /snæɡ/
he / she / it snags	/snæɡz/ /snæɡz/
past simple snagged	/snæɡd/ /snæɡd/
past participle snagged	/snæɡd/ /snæɡd/
-ing form snagging	/ˈsnæɡɪŋ/ /ˈsnæɡɪŋ/

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[transitive, intransitive] to catch or tear something on something rough or sharp; to become caught or torn in this way
- snag something on/in something I snagged my sweater on the wire fence.
- snag something The fence snagged my sweater.
- snag (on/in something) The nets snagged on some rocks.
[transitive] snag something (from somebody) (North American English, informal) to succeed in getting something quickly, often before other people
- I snagged a ride from Joe.

Word Originverb late 16th cent. (in sense (2) of the noun): probably of Scandinavian origin. The early sense ‘stump sticking out from a tree trunk’ gave rise to a US sense ‘submerged piece of timber obstructing navigation’, of which sense 1 is originally a figurative use. Current verb senses arose in the 19th cent.