snap -lose control of one's emotions.

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GoesStation

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A person who acts suddenly, unrestrained by normal moral inhibitions, is said to have snapped. Think of moral restraints as a rope bound to each person; when it snaps, or breaks, the person is freed to commit a deed which they would normally eschew.

A normally decent person who inexplicably commits murder is often said to have snapped.
 

bhaisahab

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How do you think someone might feel or react if their baby died?
 

andrewg927

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How do you think someone might feel or react if their baby died?

I would imagine "collapse". To me "snap" is more about anger.
 

andrewg927

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Snap:

The defintion of losing control of one's emotions does not make much sense to me.

What does not make sense to you?
 

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"Snap! Passenger jumps out of seat and tries to open airplane door at 38,000 feet."
"Passenger disappointed to discover opening airplane door at 35,000 feet impossible."
 

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A person who acts suddenly, unrestrained by normal moral inhibitions, is said to have snapped. Think of moral restraints as a rope bound to each person; when it snaps, or breaks, the person is freed to commit a deed which they would normally eschew.

A normally decent person who inexplicably commits murder is often said to have snapped.

Would you explain: 1.Why it is not "commits a murder" but "commit murder"?
2. Does decent you have used mean good/nice?

Thank you.
 

hhtt21

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How do you think someone might feel or react if their baby died?

It's just an example from Wordweb probably for illustrating the word in question.

Thank you.
 

hhtt21

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I would imagine "collapse". To me "snap" is more about anger.

Can we say that if two people argue, the argument grows up and one of the participants kills the other, the participant killing the other has snapped? I read frequently such situations in newspapers, this makes me think the situation is very common in my country.

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GoesStation

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Can we say that if two people argue, the argument grows up and one of the participants kills the other, the participant killing the other has snapped? I read frequently such situations in newspapers, this makes me think the situation is very common in my country.
Yes, you can.
 

GoesStation

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Would you explain: 1.Why it is not "commits a murder" but "commit murder"?
2. Does decent you have used mean good/nice?
We don't use an indefinite article when naming a crime which has been committed. People commit murder, larceny, etc.

Decent means "good, thoughtful, respectable" in my post.
 
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