as in trapped
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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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Recent Examples of ensnared
Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
Over 30 people, including members and associates of four major Mafia crime families, Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and ex-NBA player Damon Jones, have been ensnared in the criminal operation.
—Tom Winter, NBC news, 28 May 2026
Alabama's congressional map has been ensnared in legal wrangling since 2021, when the state drew new House districts after the 2020 Census.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 27 May 2026
The scheme ensnared former ministers, Defense Minister Umerov, and Prime Minister Sviridenko.
—Ariel Cohen, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
That would make sure people are correctly identified to ensure others aren’t ensnared in operations, Cardenas said.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 16 May 2026
Access to Canvas has been restored following yesterday's widespread outage that ensnared thousands of universities and schools.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 8 May 2026
Both of Seatrium’s predecessor companies were ensnared in Operation Car Wash, Brazil’s sweeping anti-corruption investigation that eventually consumed much of the country’s political and business establishment.
—Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
This is not the first time Polymarket has been ensnared in controversy.
—Niamh Kennedy, CNN Money, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
Those charges followed a sprawling indictment of 34 defendants that also ensnared Hall of Fame player and Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and former Lakers assistant coach Damon Jones.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
Over 30 people, including members and associates of four major Mafia crime families, Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and ex-NBA player Damon Jones, have been ensnared in the criminal operation.
—Tom Winter, NBC news, 28 May 2026
Alabama's congressional map has been ensnared in legal wrangling since 2021, when the state drew new House districts after the 2020 Census.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 27 May 2026
The scheme ensnared former ministers, Defense Minister Umerov, and Prime Minister Sviridenko.
—Ariel Cohen, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
That would make sure people are correctly identified to ensure others aren’t ensnared in operations, Cardenas said.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 16 May 2026
Access to Canvas has been restored following yesterday's widespread outage that ensnared thousands of universities and schools.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 8 May 2026
Both of Seatrium’s predecessor companies were ensnared in Operation Car Wash, Brazil’s sweeping anti-corruption investigation that eventually consumed much of the country’s political and business establishment.
—Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
This is not the first time Polymarket has been ensnared in controversy.
—Niamh Kennedy, CNN Money, 23 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ensnared
Adjective
-
Expert divers shared further details of Saturday’s plan to evacuate the four men who remain trapped in the cave, with two still missing.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
-
Finding the source can be challenging, from the toilet to drains and trapped moisture.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Representative Mike Collins and former football coach Derek Dooley are tangled in a bitter contest that’s headed to a runoff on June 16.—
Aidan McLaughlin,
Vanity Fair,
29 May 2026
-
The Thunder’s history on May 28 is troubled and tangled.—
Joel Lorenzi,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
Years later, when tragedy strikes again and a mysterious inheritance surfaces, Ruth is forced to confront unsettling truths about the women who raised her and decide whether to redefine her future or remain bound to the past.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
22 May 2026
-
The bound paper booklets in which students hand-write their responses to test questions have surged in popularity during the AI explosion.—
Jamil Zaki,
CNBC,
12 May 2026
Adjective
-
Wrong As Levenson tells it, in the early 18th century, a couple of forward-thinking Westerners learned about inoculations against smallpox from Ottoman women and an enslaved African.—
Diana Gitig,
ArsTechnica,
30 May 2026
-
The Portuguese transported the banana, along with enslaved people, to the Canary Islands and other territories across the Atlantic.—
Sophia Rey,
JSTOR Daily,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ensnared.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ensnared. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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