entrap

verb

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en·trap | \ in-ˈtrap

, en- \

entrapped; entrapping; entraps

Definition of entrap

transitive verb

1 : to catch in or as if in a trap

2 : to lure into a compromising statement or act

Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Example Sentences Learn More about entrap

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Synonyms & Antonyms for entrap

Synonyms

Antonyms

Choose the Right Synonym for entrap

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 entrap in a Sentence

We used the net to entrap a school of fish. The air bubbles were entrapped in ice. She felt that she was entrapped in an unhappy marriage.

Recent Examples on the Web There are an enormous number of sources of intentionally bad data created to entrap people. — Scientific American, "Readers Respond to the November 2020 Issue," 24 Feb. 2021 Yet that fun atmosphere itself is designed to entrap workers into staying longer daily, even without direct pressure from the boss. — Sarah Jaffe, Wired, "The Rise of One of the First Video Game Workers Unions," 26 Jan. 2021 But Flynn later requested Sullivan throw out his conviction because prosecutors had attempted to entrap him. — TheWeek, "Judge dismisses Flynn case after pardon — but says it doesn't make him innocent," 8 Dec. 2020 Such a wide net can at times entrap innocent civilians in invasive raids, either from misinformation or poor intelligence. — Nick Roll, The Christian Science Monitor, "Louisville and beyond: Calls for reform on ‘no-knock’ police raids," 1 Oct. 2020 Destructive cults use love-bombing to entrap new recruits. — Elizabeth Gulino, refinery29.com, "Why Did NXIVM Members Stay? An Expert On The Psychology Of Cults," 30 Sep. 2020 Naseem had been lured to Pakistan from Illinois by people who wanted to entrap him using Pakistan's blasphemy laws, according to the State Department. — Fox News, "American citizen accused of blasphemy shot dead in Pakistani courtroom," 31 July 2020 On Wednesday, those senators released the names of the officials and accused the former Vice-President of participating in a plot to entrap Flynn. — David Rohde, The New Yorker, "From the Justice Department to the Intelligence Community, Donald Trump and William Barr Have Won," 14 May 2020 Flynn later pleaded guilty to a felony count of lying to the FBI about his conversations with Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, but asked to withdraw the guilty plea this year after getting new lawyers and arguing he was entrapped. — Sabrina Eaton, cleveland, "Rep. Jim Jordan wants probe of FBI’s Michael Flynn investigation," 5 May 2020

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

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Last Updated

28 Feb 2021

Cite this Entry

“Entrap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/entrap. Accessed 5 Mar. 2021.

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More Definitions for entrap

entrap

verb

English Language Learners Definition of entrap

formal : to catch (someone or something) in a trap or in something like a trap

See the full definition for entrap in the English Language Learners Dictionary

entrap

verb

en·trap | \ in-ˈtrap

entrapped; entrapping

Kids Definition of entrap

: to catch in or as if in a trap

entrap

transitive verb

en·trap | \ in-ˈtrap

entrapped; entrapping

Legal Definition of entrap

: to cause (a person) to commit a crime by means of undue persuasion, encouragement, or fraud in order to later prosecute police entrap him into violating the literal terms of a criminal statute— W. R. LaFave and A. W. Scott, Jr.

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