as in trapping
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 ensnaring
Last September, when news broke that another friend of Kraus’s, the journalist Olivia Nuzzi, had exchanged intimate texts with Kennedy, Kraus wrote a Substack post accusing Nuzzi of ensnaring Kennedy and insulted her looks on Instagram.
—
Clare Malone, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
On another, the Internal Revenue Code stands ready with its expatriation tax regime—potentially ensnaring not only those who voluntarily renounce their citizenship but also those whose citizenship is stripped away.
—Virginia La Torre Jeker, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
And yet, these counterattacks may be ensnaring scientists in a catch-22.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 23 Aug. 2025
Clare Malone, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
On another, the Internal Revenue Code stands ready with its expatriation tax regime—potentially ensnaring not only those who voluntarily renounce their citizenship but also those whose citizenship is stripped away.
—Virginia La Torre Jeker, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
And yet, these counterattacks may be ensnaring scientists in a catch-22.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 23 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ensnaring
Verb
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The name beaver moon comes from beavers setting up their lodges for winter during this time of year, and the history of trapping beavers for the North American fur trade during the season, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
3 Nov. 2025
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The processing team, responsible for trapping and transporting monkeys, was known for causing some of the worst injuries.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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This will help prevent tangling and stretching during the wash cycle.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
21 Oct. 2025
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The Suncast resin hose hideaway prevents cracking, tangling and freezing as temperatures drop.—
Nora Colomer
may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom.,
FOXNews.com,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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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
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That total lack of self-awareness and disregard for consequences fed right into Epstein’s warped way of entrapping others.—
Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
25 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ensnaring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ensnaring. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
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