1
snipe at sb/sth
snipe at 用于表示批评、抨击，常带有不断或暗中的攻击意味。
The critics sniped at the new policy.
批评者们抨击了新政策。
沙锥
snipes — plural of snipe
先理解核心含义，再看它在真实句子里的用法。
沙锥
a wading bird with a long straight bill, related to sandpipers, that lives in marshy areas and resembles a woodcock
The critics sniped at the new policy.
批评者们抨击了新政策。
此处为名词，指鸟类，区别于动词“狙击”。
鹬科滨鸟,喙细长而直
Any of various limicoline game birds of the genera Gallinago, Lymnocryptes and Coenocorypha in the family Scolopacidae, having a long, slender, nearly straight beak.
木材被切掉后剩余的原木端头
An end of a log remaining after timber has been cut away.
尖锐机智的回答；挖苦
A sharp, clever answer; sarcasm.
鹬科直喙猎鸟,栖于沼泽地带,形似丘鹬
Old or New World straight-billed game bird of the sandpiper family; of marshy areas; similar to the woodcocks
At dawn, we saw a snipe feeding in the shallow water.
黎明时，我们看到一只沙锥在浅水中觅食。
The snipe has a long, straight bill for probing soft mud.
沙锥有一张又长又直的嘴，用来在软泥中探食。
A snipe suddenly flew out of the marsh and disappeared into the reeds.
一只沙锥突然从沼泽地飞起，消失在芦苇丛中。
snipe at 用于表示批评、抨击，常带有不断或暗中的攻击意味。
The critics sniped at the new policy.
批评者们抨击了新政策。
snipe 作及物动词，指从隐蔽处向某人或某物射击。
The assassin sniped the general from a rooftop.
刺客从屋顶狙击了将军。
用 the + 单数名词可泛指沙锥这个鸟种。
The snipe is a wading bird with a long bill.
沙锥是一种长喙的涉禽。
Not this
The police are looking for the snipe who fired from the roof.
Use this
The police are looking for the sniper who fired from the roof.
表示“狙击手”的名词是 sniper；snipe 作名词指“沙锥鸟”，也可作动词表示“狙击”，但不能用来指人。把 snipe 当作 sniper 是常见的词形混淆。
Not this
She sniped the advertisement out of the newspaper.
Use this
She snipped the advertisement out of the newspaper.
表示“用剪刀剪”的动词是 snip（过去式 snipped）；snipe 是另一个词，指“狙击、诽谤”或名词“沙锥”。两个词读音相近但意思不同，不能混用。
Not this
The journalist sniped the new policy in her article.
Use this
The journalist sniped at the new policy in her article.
表示“抨击、挖苦”的 snipe 是不及物动词，常与介词 at 搭配，即 snipe at somebody/something；不能像及物动词那样直接接宾语。
Focus on the distinctions below. Other candidates are kept compact until a reliable usage note is available.
冷言冷语地批评某人
She's always sniping at her colleagues.
她总是对同事们冷言冷语。
从隐蔽处狙击
Rebels sniped from cover at the passing patrol.
叛乱分子从隐蔽处向经过的巡逻队放冷枪。
扇尾沙锥
We spotted a common snipe in the marsh.
我们在沼泽里看到一只扇尾沙锥。
猎沙锥（指愚弄人的无果行动）
The older boys sent the new student on a snipe hunt.
高年级男生让新生去做一件毫无结果的事（去找沙锥）。
徒劳的搜寻；骗人的差事
They sent the new intern on a snipe hunt for nonexistent files.
他们让新来的实习生去找根本不存在的文件，白忙一场。
（暗中）抨击，中伤
The candidate kept sniping at his opponent during the debate.
那位候选人在辩论中不断抨击对手。
Use snipes naturally, then get feedback on meaning, tone, grammar, and phrasing.
Revisit a common error or keep this word in your review list.
记忆联想：狙击手sniper去掉er就是snipe(狙击)；想象他开枪打一只沙锥鸟，所以snipe既是狙击也是沙锥鸟。
语域：neutral 常见场景：观鸟、狩猎、鸟类图鉴 此条针对名词义项“沙锥”。指沙锥鸟时，通常用于观鸟、狩猎或自然文学等场合；日常口语中较少见，但语域为中性，不含强烈正式或俚语色彩。
这些词都与 snipe 以 /aɪp/ 押韵：pipe、wipe、ripe、stripe、swipe 拼作 -ipe；type 拼作 -ype，但发音相同。注意形近词 snip /snɪp/ 虽然拼写相近，但元音为短 /ɪ/，不押韵。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY.