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
Montespan’s rivals accused her of ensnaring the king using the dark art of potions.
—
Hilton Als, New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2025
Out of her depth, Diane digs deeper into the investigation, her determination to uncover the truth revealing a web of corruption and danger at the highest levels, ensnaring Diane, her family and all those around her.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 7 Nov. 2025
Meanwhile, funding for critical government programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Women, Infants, and Children program (WIC), as well as national flood insurance are running critically low on funds, potentially ensnaring millions of Americans.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 4 Nov. 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
Hilton Als, New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2025
Out of her depth, Diane digs deeper into the investigation, her determination to uncover the truth revealing a web of corruption and danger at the highest levels, ensnaring Diane, her family and all those around her.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 7 Nov. 2025
Meanwhile, funding for critical government programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Women, Infants, and Children program (WIC), as well as national flood insurance are running critically low on funds, potentially ensnaring millions of Americans.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 4 Nov. 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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Extending mortgages to 50 years would increase total interest paid and slow the buildup of home equity, potentially trapping borrowers in debt for a lifetime.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
9 Nov. 2025
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Wind and solar power — which don’t produce the heat-trapping pollution of coal and gas — are expected to meet 90% of new electricity demand this year.—
John D. Sutter,
CNN Money,
9 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 17 Nov. 2025.
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