ensnare

as in to trap
to catch or hold as if in a net parked just out of view, the state trooper was lying in wait to ensnare unwary speeders

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb ensnare contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of ensnare are bag, capture, catch, entrap, snare, and trap. While all these words mean "to come to possess or control by or as if by seizing," 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

When can bag be used instead of ensnare?

While in some cases nearly identical to ensnare, bag implies shooting down a fleeing or distant prey.

bagged a brace of pheasants

When is it sensible to use capture instead of ensnare?

In some situations, the words capture and ensnare are roughly equivalent. However, capture suggests taking by overcoming resistance or difficulty.

capture an enemy stronghold

When could catch be used to replace ensnare?

Although the words catch and ensnare have much in common, catch implies the seizing of something in motion or in flight or in hiding.

caught the dog as it ran by

How are the words entrap and ensnare related?

Both entrap and ensnare more often are figurative.

entrapped the witness with a trick question
a sting operation that ensnared burglars

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ensnare Finally, a legal battle between Carlton and Dominion ensnared several parties for years. Miranda Dunlap, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025 The separation comes five years after the couple were ensnared in the college admissions scandal, pleading guilty to wire and mail fraud related to paying hundreds of thousands in bribes to get their daughters into the University of Southern California. Brie Stimson , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2025 Former host Burton has tried to reboot Reading Rainbow himself in the past — but became ensnared in legal challenges with the local PBS station within Buffalo Toronto Public Media. Anastasia Tsioulcas, NPR, 3 Oct. 2025 But most of those productions fell into the trap of self-parody that ensnares so many attempts at franchise crossovers. Robert Niles, Oc Register, 30 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ensnare
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ensnare
Verb
  • Executives praised the film, which follows the Palestine Red Crescent Society’s failed attempt to save Hind, a Palestinian child who was killed in Gaza in 2024 after being trapped in a car under Israeli fire.
    Rebecca Keegan, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Even in the 19th century, the novel was considered a dangerous medium, one that would trap people—especially impressionable young women—in the thrall of isolation and fantasy.
    Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The defense was often tangled or disorganized getting back in transition.
    Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 24 Oct. 2025
  • First published in 1934, the novel follows a recurring Rampo character, Detective Akechi Kogoro, who gets all tangled up with an exhibitionist jewel thief known only as the Dark Angel.
    Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • One of the most disturbing sequences on this show is Gacy luring in and entrapping 15-year-old Robert Piest (Ryker Baloun), whose disappearance is where the series starts.
    Derek Lawrence, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Courts have sometimes concluded the government's conduct was outrageous when police have used brutality against a defendant or government agents entrapped a defendant.
    Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 9 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Ensnare.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ensnare. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

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