1To get caught or stuck on something, or become entangled so that it can't be freed — used for clothing, hair, machinery, and the like.
コートのボタンが木の枝に引っかかって破れてしまった。
The button on my coat caught on a tree branch and tore.
髪がブラシに引っかかって取れなくなった。
My hair got tangled in the brush and I couldn't get it free.
自転車のチェーンに裾が引っかかってしまった。
The hem of my clothes got caught in the bicycle chain.
2To stop by somewhere briefly on the way, or to be delayed because something along the way took extra time.
帰りに駅前の店に引っかかって、帰宅が遅くなった。
I stopped by a shop near the station on the way home and got back late.
手続きの一部で引っかかって、審査に思ったより時間がかかった。
Something in the paperwork held things up, and the review took longer than expected.
3To get mixed up in trouble or unintentionally become involved in a problem — describes getting drawn into an undesirable situation.
彼は会社の不正事件に引っかかって大変な目に遭った。
He got entangled in the company's scandal and had a rough time of it.
友人の口論に引っかかって、私まで気まずくなった。
I got dragged into my friends' argument, and it made things awkward for me too.
4To fall for a trick or be deceived — to be taken in by a scam or clever ruse.
怪しいメールのリンクをクリックして詐欺に引っかかってしまった。
I clicked a link in a suspicious email and fell for a scam.
安すぎる広告に引っかかって、偽物を買ってしまった。
I fell for a suspiciously cheap ad and ended up buying a fake.
彼女はセールストークにすぐ引っかかるタイプだ。
She's the type who easily falls for sales pitches.
5To be bothered by something that stays on one's mind — used when a remark or event lingers and causes unease.
彼の最後の一言がずっと引っかかっている。
His final remark has been bothering me ever since.
契約書のある一文が引っかかって、サインをためらった。
One clause in the contract bothered me, and I hesitated to sign.
何が引っかかっているのか、自分でもよく分からない。
Even I'm not sure exactly what's bothering me.
6To become obstructed or jammed — for a machine or the flow of something to stop because it's blocked.
プリンターに紙が引っかかって印刷が止まった。
Paper jammed in the printer and it stopped printing.
排水口に髪の毛が引っかかって水が流れなくなった。
Hair got clogged in the drain and the water stopped flowing.
7A less common, somewhat dated usage meaning for mud, water, or the like to splash onto something.
車が水たまりを通るたびに、泥が通行人の服に引っかかった。
Every time a car drove through the puddle, mud splashed onto passersby's clothes.