snail mail

noun

Synonyms of snail mailnext
1
informal : mail delivered by a postal system especially when contrasted with email : mail sense 1a
I avoid using e-mail to complain. I use the phone or old-fashioned snail mail.—Arlene Silverman
2
informal : a nation's postal system : mail sense 2
The others have taken the traditional route: sending checks by snail mail.—Stephen Gandel

Synonyms of snail mail

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Examples of snail mail in a Sentence

She still uses snail mail for paying bills. I can be contacted by e-mail and snail mail.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In the cold open of the first-season finale, the characters go through their backlog of snail mail, rushing through a series of updates on the show’s lingering story lines in imitation of a clip-show episode. — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026 Back then, there was no eBay, and deals got done with snail mail money orders. — Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026 Think traditional snail mail but digital and with birds delivering messages, not a postman. — Greta Cross, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026 The move from snail mail to email and from fax machines to web browsers made businesses wildly more efficient, which kept a lid on consumer prices—and a floor under bond prices. — Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for snail mail

Word History

First Known Use

1982, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of snail mail was in 1982

Rhymes for snail mail

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Browse Nearby Words

snaillike
snail mail
snail-paced
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Cite this Entry

“Snail mail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/snail%20mail. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

snail mail

noun
informal
1
: mail delivered by a postal system
2
: mail entry 1 sense 4
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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