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snap out of

B1 informal inseparable intransitive
In simple words

To quickly stop feeling sad, daydreamy, or confused and start acting normally again.

Literal meaning: To make a snapping sound while moving outward from something — suggesting a sharp, sudden break.

Meanings

1 B1 idiomatic informal

To suddenly stop being in a sad, dreamy, or distracted state and return to normal awareness.

"She had been staring at the wall for ten minutes before her friend told her to snap out of it."

"Snap out of it!"

— The Bangles, 'Eternal Flame' (1988) — lyric from the song
Grammar: inseparable
2 B1 idiomatic informal

To force oneself or another person to stop dwelling on grief, shock, or obsessive thinking.

"After losing the championship, it took him weeks to snap out of his disappointment and start training again."

Grammar: inseparable
3 B2 idiomatic neutral

To abruptly regain consciousness or alertness after a trance-like state.

"He snapped out of his daze when the car horn blared right behind him."

Grammar: inseparable
Usage notes

Usually used as a command ('Snap out of it!') or with a reflexive sense. Common in American and British English. The object is almost always 'it' when referring to an unspecified bad mood.

Commonly used with

depression trance daydream funk mood stupor

Forms

Base
snap out of
I/you/we/they
3rd person
snaps out of
he/she/it
Past simple
snaped out of
yesterday
Past participle
snaped out of
have + pp
-ing form
snaping out of
continuous

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Synonyms

shake it off pull yourself together come to your senses get a grip come out of it wake up

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