snake 1 of 2

noun

ˈsnāk How to pronounce snake (audio)
Definition of snakenext
1
as in serpent
a limbless reptile with a long body snakes are cold-blooded, so they regulate their body temperature by alternately basking in sunlight and seeking shade

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2
as in dog
a person whose behavior is offensive to others why, that dirty, rotten snake!

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in traitor
one who betrays a trust or an allegiance what a snake she was—having an affair with my husband while I was in the hospital!

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snake

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to lurk
to move about in a sly or secret manner snaking softly through the brush

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2
as in to crawl
to move slowly with the body close to the ground commandos snaking through the grass toward the house

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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 snake
Noun
Both involved some of the deadliest snakes in the world. — Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2025 Eventually, Narellan Snake Catchers safely removed the snake from the bedroom and relocated the animal to a more remote area. — Kelli Bender, People.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Verb
Some 11,000 of them live in the small towns and enclaves linked by two-lane highways and narrow gravel roads snaking through the forest. — Frank Morris, NPR, 18 Mar. 2025 With its warm wood planking, plentiful resting areas, and plantings of long, waving grasses, the park, no matter how crowded, feels like a calm canyon snaking through crumbling tenements and monumental skyscrapers, offering occasional glimpses of the Hudson River beyond. — News Desk, Artforum, 13 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for snake
Recent Examples of Synonyms for snake
  1. serpent
  2. dog
  3. traitor
  4. lurk
  5. crawl
  6. viper
  7. sneak
  8. creep
Noun
  • Aeterna means everlasting or perpetual, which dovetails with the lore behind the serpent, which is said to represent eternity.
    — Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 1 Apr. 2025
  • In the early 1980s, Saint Phalle created a namesake perfume with a bottle featuring a sculpted snake; in turn, Bohan made for Saint Phalle a shimmering gold pantsuit and headpiece inspired by her serpent to wear for the perfume’s launch event (which Warhol hosted).
    — Dana Thomas, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2025
Definition of serpent
Noun
  • According to LifeLine, the DeKalb shelter takes in 135 dogs a week on average.
    — Jim Gaines, ajc, 13 Sep. 2023
  • The remains were found by two men who were running their dogs and looking for rocks, according to DNASolves.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 13 Sep. 2023
Definition of dog
Noun
  • Questioning Tulsi Gabbard about her appointment as the director of National Intelligence, Republican senators begged her to agree with them that Edward Snowden was a traitor for leaking sensitive documents and then fleeing to Moscow.
    — David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2025
  • Continue reading … 'CLOSER TO RUSSIA' – Dem fires back after Elon Musk doubles down on 'traitor' accusation.
    — FOXNews.com, FOXNews.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Definition of traitor
Verb
  • Bex, lurking in the shadows while waiting on backup, couldn’t quite get a shot at Jenna, but someone did — Shane, who had chosen the team over learning about his mom.
    — Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 7 Apr. 2025
  • The fear, flashbacks and PTSD are constantly lurking, ready to erupt.
    — Laura A. Bischoff, USA Today, 6 Apr. 2025
Definition of lurk
Verb
  • If no shelter is available, crawl to an interior wall away from windows.
    — Helena Wegner, Sacbee.com, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Senators from both sides of the aisle are reigniting efforts to crawl back technology companies’ legal immunities with hopes bipartisan support in Congress could push the bill across the finish line this session and gain the backing of President Trump.
    — Miranda Nazzaro, The Hill, 2 Apr. 2025
Definition of crawl
Noun
  • The 2024 photo, however, clearly showed a Vipera berus, also known as the common European adder or common European viper, on Sylt Island, the study said.
    — Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 21 Mar. 2025
  • But the bulbous embellishment at the end of this viper’s tail is not a tumor or other growth imperfection, but rather one of nature’s trickiest anatomical lures.
    — Ryley Graham, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Jan. 2025
Definition of viper
Verb
  • But a better travel pillow does all that and sneaks an extra day’s worth of clothing onto the plane without catching a gate agent’s attention.
    — Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 6 Apr. 2025
  • How did Passover and Easter sneak up on us so fast?
    — Gretta Monahan, Boston Herald, 6 Apr. 2025
Definition of sneak
Verb
  • Charges of price gouging—originally levelled at industrial farmers—were creeping into the sandwich space.
    — H. C. Wilentz, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2025
  • Gill-over-the-ground (also known as creeping charlie), purple dead nettle, henbit and chickweed provide sustenance for early bees, beetles, flies and wasps.
    — Carl R. Gold, Baltimore Sun, 30 Mar. 2025
Definition of creep

Phrases Containing snake

Browse Nearby Words

snails
snake
snakebit
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Cite this Entry

“Snake.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snake. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on snake

Nglish: Translation of snake for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about snake

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