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snare

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb snare contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of snare are bag, capture, catch, ensnare, entrap, and trap. While all these words mean "to come to possess or control by or as if by seizing," trap, snare, entrap, ensnare imply seizing by some device that holds the one caught at the mercy of the captor. trap and snare apply more commonly to physical seizing.

trap animals
snared butterflies with a net

When is bag a more appropriate choice than snare?

In some situations, the words bag and snare are roughly equivalent. However, bag implies shooting down a fleeing or distant prey.

bagged a brace of pheasants

When is it sensible to use capture instead of snare?

Although the words capture and snare have much in common, capture suggests taking by overcoming resistance or difficulty.

capture an enemy stronghold

When would catch be a good substitute for snare?

The synonyms catch and snare are sometimes interchangeable, but catch implies the seizing of something in motion or in flight or in hiding.

caught the dog as it ran by

How are the words entrap and ensnare related as synonyms of snare?

Both entrap and ensnare more often are figurative.

entrapped the witness with a trick question
a sting operation that ensnared burglars

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of snare
Noun
Complaining about the rich comes with many snares, as events reminded Anwar last week. Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 5 July 2025 The absence of lobster traps and not being poked and prodded by divers armed with snares, tickle sticks and nets for nearly four months usually results in an abundance of bugs, a term that refers to the insect-like appearance of lobsters. Steve Waters, Miami Herald, 5 July 2025
Verb
Eagles and trumpeter swans are migrating, and bull elks thrash trees and loudly bugle, while showcasing their impressive antlers in the hope of snaring a mate. AFAR Media, 4 Aug. 2025 Warner, one of the highest profile figures snared in a federal investigation of Americans using Swiss bank accounts to avoid U.S. taxes, had pleaded guilty to a single count of tax evasion. Michelle Chapman, Hartford Courant, 20 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for snare
Recent Examples of Synonyms for snare
Noun
  • Inconsistency is another trap—being visible during a launch but silent during challenges erodes credibility.
    Heather Rosenow, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Low-lying areas that trap water are perfect environments for mosses.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 10 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Expect flocks of vibrant flamingos and tiny flitting hummingbirds spreading their wings over the turquoise waters and tangles of mangroves that unfold across lagoons that stretch parallel to the sea.
    Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 9 Sep. 2025
  • The Rise Of The Two Philosophies For years, the default approach to multicloud networking was a chaotic, do-it-yourself affair, leading to a fragile, unmanageable tangle of siloed configurations.
    Serge Lucio, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Plus, grab knife sets and a nifty electric can opener to streamline your cooking.
    Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 16 Sep. 2025
  • As Jey checked on Jimmy, LA Knight grabbed the steel chair and teased hitting Jey Uso.
    Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • State investigators allege that Pusser staged an August 12, 1967, pre-dawn ambush that killed his wife, Pauline.
    Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2025
  • After her attempts to fight the dog off failed, Pasamanick decided to bite the pitbull’s neck, resulting in the dog eventually stopping the ambush.
    Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Despite specifying various antics with pills, a belt-as-noose, and a gun, Cloud has given him no real demons to explore.
    Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
  • She, whose life would end in the last year of this leaden, sick, suffocating century, in a noose improvised with the rope of a gymnastics ring.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Kirk was killed in Utah on Wednesday and the suspect, Tyler Robinson, was caught after his father turned him in to authorities on Friday.
    Luke Barr, ABC News, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Use any type of soft plastic lures to catch black bass.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Constantly Catching Molecules The Integrated Carbon Observation System, or ICOS, is a web of nearly 180 measurement stations scattered across 16 European countries.
    Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Those icons can actually be used in a lot of places throughout macOS (and iOS), including on Safari's new tab page, on the dock or Home screen (for web apps), and in Safari's tabs.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • As demand for housing surged during the pandemic amid a widespread lack of inventory across the country, home prices shot through the roof—adding millions of dollars in real estate wealth to those who have managed to snatch a property or already owned one.
    Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
  • When tickets to those shows went on sale and fans struggled to purchase seats snatched up by resellers, however, the vocalist expressed her frustration on her Story.
    Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 16 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Snare.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snare. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

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