snap at
Answer with bite
To snap at someone is to speak sharply or irritably, often in response to minor provocation: She snapped at him for leaving the door open.
The image is of a dog or other animal making a quick biting motion—the verbal equivalent of that sudden, aggressive gesture.
People snap at others when tired, stressed, or annoyed, usually followed by regret.
- snarlHostile vocal threat
- barkSharp canine vocalization
- growlLow threatening sound
- bitePierce with teeth
- lash outAttack abruptly in anger
lose one's temper · retort · snip · bristle · short fuse · irritable · curt · sharp · terse · bad mood · grumpy · cranky · teeth · jaws · temper · rebuke · scold · bicker
- anger expressionssee red, seeing red, lose your temper, blow a fuse, blow a gasket
- scoldingscold, scolding, rebuke, berate, reprimand
- mouth actionsbite, biting, chewing, chew, swallowing