1 B2 informal
Of traffic: to become severely congested and unable to move.
"The city centre completely snarled up after a lorry overturned on the main bridge."
separable
snarl up
B2 informal separable transitive/intransitive
To become or cause something to become hopelessly tangled, blocked, or chaotically disrupted.
In plain English
To get totally stuck in a traffic jam or to make a situation so confused that nothing can move or work.
What does "snarl up" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic informal
To cause a process, system, or plan to become entangled in problems so that it cannot proceed.
"Bureaucratic red tape snarled up the construction project for months."
separable
3 B2 neutral
To become physically tangled or knotted.
"The fishing line snarled up around the propeller and the boat couldn't move."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To snarl (growl with bared teeth, or tangle) and go upward — the 'up' intensifies the idea of complete entanglement.
Actually means
To get totally stuck in a traffic jam or to make a situation so confused that nothing can move or work.
Usage tip
Most common in British English. Used frequently in traffic and transport reporting. As a noun, 'snarl-up' is also standard ('a three-mile snarl-up on the M25'). Less common in American English.
Words that pair with "snarl up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
traffic roads system negotiations plans network
How to conjugate "snarl up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
snarl up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
snarls up
he/she/it
Past simple
snarled up
yesterday
Past participle
snarled up
have + pp
-ing form
snarling up
continuous
Hear "snarl up" in the wild
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Other ways to say "snarl up"
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