dragnet

noun

drag·​net ˈdrag-ˌnet 

1

a

: a net drawn along the bottom of a body of water

b

: a net used on the ground (as to capture small game)

2

: a network of measures for apprehension (as of criminals)

Examples of dragnet in a Sentence

Nine suspects were caught in the police dragnet.

Recent Examples on the Web

Now, in an election year, migration continues to be a defining issue for both the Biden administration as well as former President Trump, who promises to deport 15 to 20 million people, strengthen the wall, and its surveillance dragnet. —Petra Molnar, TIME, 21 May 2024

Instead, during the nearly 100-year period known as Jim Crow, descendants of slavery were violently subjected to a dragnet of racist laws that kept them from most opportunities and also prevented America from becoming a true democracy. —Nikole Hannah-Jones, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1541, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

dragnet

noun

drag·​net ˈdrag-ˌnet 

1

: a net dragged along the bottom of a body of water

2

: a series of planned actions for catching a criminal