entrap

verb

en·​trap in-ˈtrap 

en-

entrapped; entrapping; entraps

transitive verb

1

: to catch in or as if in a trap

2

: to lure into a compromising statement or act

Synonyms of entrap

• trap
• tangle

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

Stevenson insists that the goal of the Legacy Museum is not to present Alabama as irredeemably racist or forever entrapped by its past. —Clint Smith, The Atlantic, 19 Jan. 2026

The Civic driver was extricated as Ramsubhag was received lifesaving measures while still entrapped the vehicle. —Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 18 Jan. 2026

Optical atomic clocks, which use intersecting laser beams to entrap and monitor the atoms, are currently accurate down to 1 attosecond, or a billionth of a billionth of a second. —IEEE Spectrum, 20 Dec. 2025

Getting young people to trust and depend on the traffickers is part of entrapping them. —Anne P. Deprince, The Conversation, 17 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle French entraper, from en- + trape trap

First Known Use

1531, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for entrap

• bandgap
• bitmap
• blackcap
• blackstrap
• bootstrap
• burlap
• claptrap
• foolscap
• kidnap
• kneecap
• madcap
• mayhap

Kids Definition

entrap

verb

en·​trap in-ˈtrap 

: to catch in or as if in a trap

entrapment

-mənt

noun

Legal Definition

entrap

transitive verb

en·​trap in-ˈtrap 

entrapped; entrapping

: 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.