Synonyms of ensnare

ensnare

verb

in-ˈsner 

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

• trap
• tangle
• entrap
• enmesh
• entangle
• snare
• mesh
• involve
• net
• capture
• ensnarl
• catch up
• immesh
• implicate
• entoil
• embroil
• collar
• mire
• birdlime
• bag

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• disentangle
• extricate
• detach
• disengage
• liberate
• untangle
• free
• clear

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

Recent Examples of ensnare

The legislation changes how the law describes the federal government and the legislature’s view of Second Amendment rights, in an effort to sidestep the legal problems that ensnared the 2021 law. —Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 2 Apr. 2025

But the Liberals under Mr. Trudeau became tone-deaf after the pandemic and amid inflation and the housing crisis that have ensnared regular Canadians. —Sara Miller Llana, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Apr. 2025

Or, in states that have established fetal personhood, officials might pass ordinances that could ensnare pregnant people in human trafficking charges. —Odette Yousef, NPR, 8 May 2025

Yelena’s final task from Allegra turns into a deadly setup that ensnares other anti-heroes with her — the very, very temporary Captain America, hot-headed agent John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) and Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko). —Randy Myers, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2025