October 21, 2014 – Word of the Day:  snag

A snag is a small problem.

• There was a snag in our travel plans.
• A mechanical problem caused a snag.
• A highway construction project might create a snag for people who are driving through the area.
• Weather-related problems cause a snag for air travelers.
• There’s a snag in her sweater.
• That’s just a little snag. It’s easily fixed.

When used as a verb, the word "snag" indicates that something has accidentally latched onto another thing and ripped. Clothing such as a shirt, a sweater, or pants are damaged when brushing up against an object.

• Her sweater got snagged on a nail.
• A small area of the couch got snagged on the door as it was moved into the house.
• Debris moving downstream was snagged by a tree that had fallen into the river.
• I was lucky enough to snag a few tickets to the World Series. (Sometimes "snag" is used when discovering something by luck.)

His sweater got snagged as he was walking

through the woods.

Note: Don’t say this word too quickly; otherwise, it will sound like the word "snack."

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