as in tangled
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
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as in trapped
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Recent Examples of ensnared
Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 12 Sep. 2025
Citizens of richer countries, like South Korea, have been ensnared and tortured in Cambodia’s scam compounds, though the Cambodian National Police deny this.
—Christine Ro, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Japan’s drug laws have ensnared other corporate executives before.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 Sep. 2025
Cate Blanchett stars as a nun, Sister Eileen, who’s taken charge of a monastery and enrolls an Aboriginal boy recently ensnared in the outback.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2025
After the car was ensnared on I-96 near Star Road, the driver continued to try to drive away, resulting in the rear wheels being ripped off the vehicle.
—Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 29 Aug. 2025
They’ve been ensnared by his arching curveball and deft precision for the better part of two decades.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 21 Aug. 2025
And worries abound that chipmakers will increasingly become ensnared in federal trade policy or that China could make a more formal recommendation to ban certain US chips altogether.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 14 Aug. 2025
Entanglements can inflict severe injuries on whales such as lacerations and infections, and may ultimately lead to drowning or starvation as whales struggle to breathe and feed while ensnared, according to the International Whaling Commission.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Swift was initially ensnared in the fight when Baldoni filed a dueling defamation lawsuit against Lively that included claims Swift was present during a pivotal meeting at Lively’s Tribeca penthouse that involved Lively’s efforts to make changes to the movie script.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 12 Sep. 2025
Citizens of richer countries, like South Korea, have been ensnared and tortured in Cambodia’s scam compounds, though the Cambodian National Police deny this.
—Christine Ro, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Japan’s drug laws have ensnared other corporate executives before.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 Sep. 2025
Cate Blanchett stars as a nun, Sister Eileen, who’s taken charge of a monastery and enrolls an Aboriginal boy recently ensnared in the outback.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2025
After the car was ensnared on I-96 near Star Road, the driver continued to try to drive away, resulting in the rear wheels being ripped off the vehicle.
—Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 29 Aug. 2025
They’ve been ensnared by his arching curveball and deft precision for the better part of two decades.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 21 Aug. 2025
And worries abound that chipmakers will increasingly become ensnared in federal trade policy or that China could make a more formal recommendation to ban certain US chips altogether.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 14 Aug. 2025
Entanglements can inflict severe injuries on whales such as lacerations and infections, and may ultimately lead to drowning or starvation as whales struggle to breathe and feed while ensnared, according to the International Whaling Commission.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ensnared
Verb
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Trying to pin down what a novelist actually believes is a sure way to get trapped in a labyrinth of misreadings and fallacies.—
Jeremy Gordon,
The Atlantic,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Juno orbits Jupiter once every 33 days, and the trajectory brings the spacecraft through intense radiation belts trapped by the planet's powerful magnetic field.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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With Freakier Friday hitting theaters, we’re all bound to be hit by a wave of nostalgia.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
-
These tightly bound, spherical swarms often contain hundreds of thousands of stellar bodies and play host to some of the oldest stars in our galaxy.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
17 Aug. 2025
Verb
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This little case keeps rings, necklaces, and earrings neatly tucked away, so nothing gets tangled—or worse, left behind.—
Kayla Kitts,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Sep. 2025
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True moral dilemmas, which become tangled in ways that seem impossible to unravel, with his private life.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Its circling movements once provided cover for enslaved people to slip away undetected, fleeing into palenques (the free Black towns).—
Essence,
Essence,
28 Aug. 2025
-
And so to see that despite the exploitation that enslaved people were being subjected to despite the horrendous conditions, all this brutality going on, and yet people are trying actively recreating traditions, right?—
Outside Online,
Outside Online,
27 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ensnared.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ensnared. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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