Encounter a problem or obstacle. For example, We've hit a snag with this building project. The noun snag has been used in the sense of “a sharp or rough projection,” such as would impede passage, since the 1500s.

What does it mean to hit a snag?

: to have a problem (with something) We hit a snag with our travel plans.

Where does hit a snag come from?

Origin of Hit a Snag

The word snag dates back to the 1500s and comes from the Old Norse word for point or projection. The expression to hit a snag has a literal meaning as well as a figurative one. Literally, it means to bump into something that impedes one's progress.