snapshot
gb/snˈæpʃˌɑt/ us/snˈæpʃˌɑt/
B1
English
~ 7900
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
quick, informal photograph
A photo that someone takes fast and simply, without much planning or special equipment.
Usage pattern:
a snapshot of [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"make a snapshot"* instead of *"take a snapshot"*. In English, we almost always use the verb *take* with words like *photo*, *picture*, and *snapshot*.
Synonyms
photo (More general; does not emphasize that the picture was taken quickly or casually.)
Antonyms
studio portrait (A carefully posed, professionally lit photograph, the opposite of a quick, casual snapshot.)
Collocations
take a snapshot
|holiday snapshots
|family snapshots
|old snapshots
|quick snapshot
|casual snapshot
Themes
photography
|daily life
|travel
|daily_life
|arts_entertainment
Examples
- He showed me a snapshot of his kids on his phone.
- Tourists were taking snapshots of the famous bridge from every angle.
- I keep an old snapshot of my grandparents in my wallet.
- She posted a sunset snapshot from her vacation on social media.
- These black-and-white snapshots were taken when we first met.
Learner examples
- She took a snapshot of the beach.
- I found a snapshot of my parents in an old box.
- He showed us a snapshot from his last trip.
- Can you send me that snapshot of us?
- This snapshot is my favorite picture of you.
Noun
B2
entity
2
brief view of a situation
A short, simple description that shows how something is at one moment in time.
Usage pattern:
a snapshot of [a situation]
Common mistake:
Learners may think *snapshot* here always refers to a real photograph. In business, news, and academic writing, it often means a short description or set of data, with no actual picture involved.
Synonyms
overview (Suggests a general picture; *snapshot* adds the idea that it reflects just one specific moment.)
Antonyms
in-depth analysis (An extended, detailed study, which is the opposite of a short, momentary view.)
Collocations
a snapshot of the economy
|provide a snapshot
|brief snapshot
|snapshot of public opinion
|snapshot in time
Themes
business
|media
|academia
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The report gives a snapshot of the housing market in 2025.
- These numbers provide a useful snapshot of where the company stands right now.
- Survey results offer a snapshot of public attitudes toward climate policy.
- The chart is only a snapshot of performance and may change next quarter.
- This data set is a historical snapshot of life in the city 50 years ago.
Learner examples
- The table gives a snapshot of prices this year.
- This survey is a snapshot of how people feel today.
- The graph shows a quick snapshot of our sales.
- The picture of numbers is just a snapshot of the market.
- These facts are a snapshot of the current situation.
Noun
technical
C1
entity
3
saved state of data/system
In computers, a saved copy of a system or data at one moment in time, so you can return to that moment later.
Usage pattern:
a snapshot of [a system/database/volume]
Common mistake:
Some learners confuse *snapshot* with *screenshot*. A *snapshot* in computing is usually a full saved state of data or a system, while a *screenshot* is just an image of what is on the screen.
Synonyms
backup (More general; a *snapshot* is a specific kind of backup that records an exact state at a moment in time.)
Antonyms
live data (Data that is currently changing and in use, rather than a frozen copy from a specific moment.)
Collocations
take a snapshot
|database snapshot
|system snapshot
|snapshot backup
|VM snapshot
|restore from a snapshot
Themes
technology
|computing
|business
Examples
- The administrator took a snapshot of the database before applying the update.
- You can roll back the virtual machine to yesterday’s snapshot if something goes wrong.
- This snapshot captures the entire file system as it existed at midnight.
- We keep hourly snapshots so we can restore any lost data quickly.
- Before testing the new configuration, create a snapshot of the current system state.
Learner examples
- The IT team made a snapshot of the server.
- If there is a problem, we can go back to the last snapshot.
- The program saves a snapshot of your work every hour.
- Please take a snapshot of the database before you change it.
- They restored the website from a snapshot.
Noun
technical
B2
entity
4
quick shot in sport
In some sports, a very fast shot that uses only a small, quick movement, not a big swing.
Usage pattern:
[someone] hits a snapshot [towards/into] [the goal]
Synonyms
shot (More general; *snapshot* specifies a quick shot with a short movement.)
Antonyms
slap shot (In ice hockey, a different type of shot with a long backswing and very hard swing, contrasting with a short, quick snapshot.)
Collocations
powerful snapshot
|low snapshot
|left-footed snapshot
|driven snapshot
|fire a snapshot
Themes
sports
|leisure
Examples
- He took a quick snapshot from the edge of the box and scored.
- The winger fired a low snapshot that beat the goalkeeper at the near post.
- She unleashed a powerful snapshot from the blue line.
- The defender blocked the snapshot with his leg.
- A late snapshot almost gave them the winning goal.
Learner examples
- He scored with a fast snapshot from 20 meters.
- The player hit a low snapshot into the corner of the goal.
- The goalkeeper saved the snapshot.
- She tried a quick snapshot, but it went wide.
- A strong snapshot won the game for their team.
Verb
technical
C1
action
5
to create a saved snapshot
To make a special saved copy of a computer system or data at one moment in time.
Usage pattern:
snapshot [a system/database/volume]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes try to use the verb *snapshot* for everyday photography, but this verb form is mainly used in technical computing contexts. For normal photos, speakers say *take a photo* or *take a snapshot*, not *snapshot something*.
Synonyms
capture (More general; in computing, *capture* can mean record or store, while *snapshot* specifically means create a point‑in‑time saved state.)
Antonyms
delete (To remove data instead of saving its state.)
Collocations
snapshot the database
|snapshot the volume
|automatically snapshot
|regularly snapshot
|scripts that snapshot the system
Themes
technology
|computing
Examples
- The tool can snapshot the database without taking it offline.
- This script snapshots the server every night at midnight.
- Before you upgrade, snapshot the system so you can roll back if needed.
- The platform automatically snapshots your environment before major changes.
- We regularly snapshot the storage volume for disaster recovery.
Learner examples
- The program will snapshot the disk for you.
- Please snapshot the server before you change the settings.
- The system snapshots the data every hour.
- You should snapshot the database first.
- They snapshot the machine before each test.
Grammar
Dictionary form
snapshot
IPA
GB/snˈæpʃˌɑt/
US/snˈæpʃˌɑt/
Syllables & stress
snap - shot (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (snap)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: snapshot
- Plural: snapshots
Word family
Forms
snapshots
noun
Related words
snap
verb A2
Expressions
a snapshot of
1/ə snˈæpʃˌɑt əv/
fixed phrase
short view of current state
Used to say that something gives a short, simple picture of how a situation is at one time.
Examples
- This chart gives a snapshot of our sales over the last year.
- The article offers a snapshot of life in the city today.
- These figures are only a snapshot of the wider problem.
snapshot in time
1/snˈæpʃˌɑt ˈɪn tˈaɪm/
fixed phrase
single recorded moment in time
A picture, description, or set of data that shows how something was at one moment, not how it changes over time.
Examples
- The study is just a snapshot in time and does not track long-term trends.
- This photo is a snapshot in time from my childhood.
take a snapshot
1/tˈeɪk ə snˈæpʃˌɑt/
fixed phrase
take a quick, casual photo
To quickly take an informal photo, usually without much planning.
Examples
- Let’s take a snapshot before everyone leaves.
- He stopped to take a snapshot of the mountains.
- Tourists were taking snapshots outside the museum.