ensnarl

en·snarl | \ in-ˈsnär(-ə)l

How to pronounce ensnarl (audio)

, en- \

ensnarled; ensnarling; ensnarls

Definition of ensnarl

transitive verb

: to involve in a snarl

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Examples of ensnarl in a Sentence

for two years the couple was ensnarled in the red tape of an international adoption

Recent Examples on the Web All the while, their suspicions focused on Mr. Dulos, with whom she had been ensnarled in a bitter, yearslong custody battle. — Michael Gold, New York Times, "Fotis Dulos, Connecticut Man Accused of Killing Jennifer Dulos, Is Dead," 30 Jan. 2020 That led to a police chase that ended in Miramar, where the robbers became ensnarled in traffic and exchanged gunshots with the police. — Lisa J. Huriash, sun-sentinel.com, "Prosecutors to review whether deadly police shootout was justified or a crime," 12 Dec. 2019 The site is part of what was once envisioned as a downtown neighborhood featuring hundreds of new homes, but the original plan by developer Zaremba Inc. was ensnarled by challenges from the start. — Jordyn Grzelewski, cleveland.com, "High-end condo project resurrected by new developer," 5 Sep. 2019 Yost is leading a wide-ranging investigation into Cuyahoga County government and the jail that has ensnarled members of Budish’s administration. — Eric Heisig, cleveland.com, "Armond Budish, other Cuyahoga County officials rip into Ohio AG Dave Yost’s latest legal move to gain control in opioid litigation," 30 Aug. 2019 The world seems to be careening into more and more disorder, and American politics in particular is hopelessly ensnarled in partisan dysfunction. — Sean Illing, Vox, "Intellectuals have said democracy is failing for a century. They were wrong.," 20 Dec. 2018 The controversies that have ensnarled Chang have run the gamut, from budget cuts and school closures to turbulent leadership at Madison Park Technical Vocational High School. — James Vaznis, BostonGlobe.com, "At midpoint of his term, Tommy Chang is being tested," 18 Feb. 2018 McCabe has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, but is now ensnarled in a criminal investigation by the US Attorney's office in DC based on the inspector general's findings -- a searing reminder of the gravity of the office's powers. — Laura Jarrett, CNN, "DOJ Inspector General report on FBI handling of Clinton email probe entering final stages," 16 May 2018 Yet O'Callaghan now lands in the thick of the highest-profile investigation at the Justice Department, ensnarling former Trump campaign associates. — Laura Jarrett, CNN, "Rosenstein gets new top deputy for Russia probe," 3 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ensnarl.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Ensnarl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ensnarl. Accessed 10 Jul. 2020.

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