From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishsnagsnag1 /snæɡ/ noun [countable] 1 PROBLEMa problem or disadvantage, especially one that is not very serious, which you had not expected It’s an interesting job. The only snag is that it’s not very well paid.hit/run into a snag The grand opening hit a snag when no one could find the key.► see thesaurus at problemRegisterSnag is slightly informal. In written English, people usually prefer to use problem or disadvantage instead:The only disadvantage is that it takes a little longer.2 a part of a dead tree that sticks out, especially one that is under water and can be dangerous3 a sharp part of something that sticks out and holds or cuts things that touch it
Examples from the Corpus
snag• The case hit a snag in October when the judge handling it had to be replaced.• The process hit a snag Tuesday when a vital meeting had to be canceled.• However, there's a snag in this intergalactic transportation scheme.• The House worked out some last-minute snags on the legislation.• The cleanup effort was delayed for a few days by some technical snags and equipment problems.• The snag is that online users are reluctant to give out information about themselves to Web sites.• The snags offer safe nesting sites for birds, as thousands of young trees and plants sprout up on the surrounding riverbank.• This is much easier than it sounds but not without snags.hit/run into a snag• The nature study project has run into a snag.• Then I ran into a snag - the newspaper had no printed address.snagsnag2 verb (snagged, snagging) [transitive] 1 TEARto damage something by getting it stuck on something sharp Oh no! I’ve snagged my stockings.2 American English informalATTENTION to succeed in getting something, especially something difficult to get I snagged a parking space in the last row.→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
snag• The parking lot was almost full, but I snagged a space in the last row.• However the textured topside can easily mark or snag, and paste can not be successfully removed from it.• This savvy-enough production will snag hordes who love a mindless evening.• A similar experiment was attempted in mid-1992, but it was interrupted when the tether became snagged in a deployer mechanism.• Danny's kite snagged in the upper branches of a tree.• The trial follows the Antares tragedy in which four fishermen drowned after a submarine snagged its nets in the Firth of Clyde.• His eyes snagged on some of them, the infamous dates-I 917,1 929-and skated right over others.• And then the hospital just goes and snags some other kid on the hook.• Don't open the packet with your teeth and be careful not to snag the rubber with rings or finger-nails.Origin snag1 (1500-1600) Probably from a Scandinavian language 