1
: any of numerous limbless scaled reptiles (suborder Serpentes synonym Ophidia) with a long tapering body and with salivary glands often modified to produce venom which is injected through grooved or tubular fangs
2
: a worthless or treacherous fellow
3
: something (such as a plumber's snake) resembling a snake
snaked; snaking
1
: to wind (one's way, one's body in crawling, etc.) in the manner of a snake
2
: to move (something, such as logs) by dragging
: to crawl, move, or extend silently, secretly, or sinuously
Synonyms
Examples of snake in a Sentence
Noun
I thought she was my friend, but she turned out to be a snake in the grass.
snakes are cold-blooded, so they regulate their body temperature by alternately basking in sunlight and seeking shade
Verb
The road snakes through the mountains.
Cables snaked across the floor.
Technicians snaked cables through the set.
He snaked his way through the crowd.
Recent Examples on the Web
Lawrence Yee, People.com, 31 Oct. 2024
The animals most affected included large lizards like land mullets and eastern water dragons and snakes like the red-bellied blacksnake.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 21 Oct. 2024
The line to enter the ballroom snaked out of the Gaylord’s parking lot and down the street, at one point stretching more than a mile.
—Nick Coltrain, The Denver Post, 11 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for snake 
Noun
His Instagram page, which boasted 645,000 followers, was filled with photos of close encounters with giant crocodiles and deadly snakes.
—Lawrence Yee, People.com, 31 Oct. 2024
The animals most affected included large lizards like land mullets and eastern water dragons and snakes like the red-bellied blacksnake.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
Verb
In the show’s most staggering sequence, the captivating Francis snakes through the backstage dressing rooms, before spilling out onto the street to sing the title number.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 21 Oct. 2024
The line to enter the ballroom snaked out of the Gaylord’s parking lot and down the street, at one point stretching more than a mile.
—Nick Coltrain, The Denver Post, 11 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for snake
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'snake.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near snake
Cite this Entry
“Snake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/snake. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
snake
1 of 2 noun1
: any of numerous limbless reptiles that have a long body and salivary glands often capable of producing venom which is injected through fangs
2
: a mean or treacherous person
snake
2 of 2 verb
snaked; snaking
: to crawl, wind, or move like a snake
Medical Definition
snake
noun
: any of numerous limbless scaled reptiles (suborder Serpentes synonym Ophidia) with a long tapering body and with salivary glands often modified to produce venom which is injected through grooved or tubular fangs
Geographical Definition
Snake
geographical name
river 1038 miles (1670 kilometers) long in the northwestern U.S. flowing from northwestern Wyoming across southern Idaho and into the Columbia River in Washington
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