ensnare

verb

en·​snare in-ˈsner 

en-

ensnared; ensnaring; ensnares

transitive verb

: to take in or as if in a snare

Synonyms

• trap
• tangle
• entrap

Choose the Right Synonym for ensnare

catch, capture, trap, snare, entrap, ensnare, bag mean to come to possess or control by or as if by seizing.

catch implies the seizing of something in motion or in flight or in hiding.

caught the dog as it ran by

capture suggests taking by overcoming resistance or difficulty.

capture an enemy stronghold

trap, snare, entrap, ensnare imply seizing by some device that holds the one caught at the mercy of the captor.

trap and snare apply more commonly to physical seizing.

trap animals

snared butterflies with a net

entrap and ensnare more often are figurative.

entrapped the witness with a trick question

a sting operation that ensnared burglars

bag implies shooting down a fleeing or distant prey.

bagged a brace of pheasants

Examples of ensnare in a Sentence

The animals got ensnared in the net.

The police successfully ensnared the burglar.

Recent Examples on the Web

In the rush to understand the formation history of solar systems like ours, one big conundrum still ensnares this field of research. —Bruce Dorminey, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2025

In the end, Rothstein—a master spider—was ensnared in a web even more ingenious than his own, woven, maddeningly, by lesser spiders. —Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025

Some of those laws have ensnared members of the business community. —John Liu, CNN Money, 23 July 2025

Weisberg was credited by the former chancellor, David Banks — who was pushed out of the administration amid a federal investigation ensnaring City Hall — with having pushed for Aviles-Ramos to be his successor. —Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 1 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1576, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ensnare

• abwehr
• affair
• affaire
• airfare
• altair
• armchair
• aware
• beware
• bugbear
• carfare
• childcare
• compare

Kids Definition

ensnare

verb

en·​snare in-ˈsna(ə)r 

-ˈsne(ə)r

: snare entry 2 sense 1, entrap