ensnarl

verb

en·​snarl in-ˈsnär(-ə)l How to pronounce ensnarl (audio)
en-
ensnarled; ensnarling; ensnarls

transitive verb

: to involve in a snarl

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 Other common problems can quickly be solved by wiping off the optical sensors with a soft cloth, unclogging the vacuum chute when Legos have gotten stuck inside, and cutting off long hair that has ensnarled the roller or side brushes. WIRED, 24 Mar. 2023 Eastbound 580 traffic remained reduced to three lanes and severe congestion began to ensnarl the highway shortly after 1:30 p.m. Wednesday. Ricardo Cano, San Francisco Chronicle, 22 Mar. 2023 Those exact questions would divide state government and ensnarl Utah’s COVID-19 response in politics as hundreds, and then thousands, of Utahns fell ill while the coronavirus spread worldwide. Bethany Rodgers, The Salt Lake Tribune, 27 Sep. 2021 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, 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, 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, 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, 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, 20 Dec. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ensnarl.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ensnarl was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near ensnarl

Cite this Entry

“Ensnarl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ensnarl. Accessed 15 Oct. 2024.

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