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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in trapped
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Recent Examples of ensnared
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
The law, which has faced accusations of being over-broad in its language, has ensnared many.
—Angele Latham, Nashville Tennessean, 23 Sep. 2025
Cain, an orthodontist from Texas, was unwittingly ensnared in the murder investigation.
—Doc Louallen, ABC News, 19 Sep. 2025
Hugo kept his cool as his crew became increasingly ensnared in Solène’s machinations and managed to keep a respectable distance from the interpersonal drama of the boat.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2025
When any object gets close to a supermassive black hole, it's typically ensnared in a powerful gravitational pull.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2025
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
Adjective
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
The law, which has faced accusations of being over-broad in its language, has ensnared many.
—Angele Latham, Nashville Tennessean, 23 Sep. 2025
Cain, an orthodontist from Texas, was unwittingly ensnared in the murder investigation.
—Doc Louallen, ABC News, 19 Sep. 2025
Hugo kept his cool as his crew became increasingly ensnared in Solène’s machinations and managed to keep a respectable distance from the interpersonal drama of the boat.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2025
When any object gets close to a supermassive black hole, it's typically ensnared in a powerful gravitational pull.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ensnared
Verb
-
If you are trapped by moving water, move to the highest possible point and call 911 if possible.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
4 Oct. 2025
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Grain bins and silos can be extremely deadly if people get trapped inside.—
Kelli Arseneau,
jsonline.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Naked people are collared, bound, prodded, whipped, ridden like horses, roasted over spits.—
Michael Robbins,
Harpers Magazine,
20 Aug. 2025
-
With Freakier Friday hitting theaters, we’re all bound to be hit by a wave of nostalgia.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Office furniture and bags of tea were strewn along the Swannanoa River and left tangled in trees.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
27 Sep. 2025
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Opponents of the Houston South Project, who have been tangled up in a legal battle with the United States Forest Service since 2020, say this ruling is a meaningful step in the right direction.—
Sophie Hartley,
IndyStar,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In Marx’s terms, enslaved workers actually represent variable capital in the production process.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Sep. 2025
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Historians’ research on smallpox and slavery, for example, has found that inoculation was widely accepted and practiced by West Africans by the early 1700s, and that enslaved people brought the practice to the Colonies.—
Stacie Kershner,
The Conversation,
22 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ensnared.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ensnared. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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