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
But people in the country legally also have been caught in Trump’s dragnet.
—
Laurie Kellman, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2025
Los Angeles leaders impose curfew as protests against Trump’s immigration crackdown continue
The California governor accused Trump of drawing a ‘military dragnet’ across the nation’s second largest city.
—Emma K. Dashnaw, Hartford Courant, 11 June 2025
Trump is pulling a military dragnet all across Los Angeles.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 June 2025
To understand how the deportation dragnet works, TIME joined ICE officers on a pair of morning raids in the New Orleans area.
—Eric Cortellessa, Time, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for dragnet
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Laurie Kellman, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2025
Los Angeles leaders impose curfew as protests against Trump’s immigration crackdown continue
The California governor accused Trump of drawing a ‘military dragnet’ across the nation’s second largest city.
—Emma K. Dashnaw, Hartford Courant, 11 June 2025
Trump is pulling a military dragnet all across Los Angeles.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 June 2025
To understand how the deportation dragnet works, TIME joined ICE officers on a pair of morning raids in the New Orleans area.
—Eric Cortellessa, Time, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for dragnet
Cite this Entry
“Dragnet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dragnet. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share