snarls

Snarls, the plural of snarl, can refer to several related concepts. The most common senses are a low, threatening vocalization produced by an animal, especially dogs and other canids, often accompanied by bared teeth and a warning growl; a tangled mass or knot of things, such as hair, wires, or vegetation; and a figurative use describing a complicated, obstructive situation, such as a bureaucratic or traffic snarl.

In everyday language, snarls as a verb convey action: to snarl means to growl or speak in a harsh, threatening manner; to cause to become tangled or obstructed, as in “the cords snarled” or “the road snarled traffic.”

Snarls are commonly encountered in descriptions of animals or in reporting on congestion or complexity. The phrase “traffic snarl” is widely used to denote a build-up of vehicles due to an accident or other disruption.

Notes: The term is versatile and appears across several styles of discourse, from natural history to journalism. Other related terms include tangle, knot, mess, or gridlock.