snare 1 of 2

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
As the gator wore down Blake got a snare around it and worked it toward their boat. Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 3 Sep. 2025 Wire snares killed indiscriminately, decimating populations of everything from bushbuck to buffalo. Sarah Kingdom, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2025
Verb
Later, shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. snared a sharp line drive to end the fifth inning. Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 12 Sep. 2025 The 36-year-old safety was selected 29th overall in the 2012 draft and is the NFL's active leader in interceptions with 37 snared in his career. Trevor Squire, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for snare
Recent Examples of Synonyms for snare
Noun
  • An animal control office set up humane traps at the distribution center, where photos of Francine were posted throughout.
    John Raby, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2025
  • The 2025 Nobel Prize for Chemistry was awarded for the creation of metal-organic frameworks, molecular structures that can capture CO₂, filter pollutants from water, or trap moisture from desert air.
    Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 8 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Millions of miles of flying feels like an adequate amount of time to observe travelers struggle with bulky items, search endlessly for a gadget in a tangle of monochromatic accessories, and look longingly at their seatmate who seems to have it all together.
    Carin Ryan, Travel + Leisure, 4 Oct. 2025
  • Whether the Northen Sea Route catches on depends on a tangle of factors.
    Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The ball popped up in the air and Bolton was there to grab it, except he was hit by teammate Drue Tranquill.
    Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Sasaki was the necessary answer on Monday night, coming in to secure the final out and avoid disaster as Freddie Freeman sprawled out to grab Tommy Edman’s final throw to first base.
    Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • What happened Tuesday was an ambush by the potent Dodgers, who rolled to a 10-5 win in Game 1 of the best-of-three series.
    C. Trent Rosecrans, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Under an imperial decree, her captors become unlikely allies, guiding Jewish refugees through ambushes, shifting alliances and treacherous waters, while Sara confronts leadership, loyalty and love at a high cost.
    Ben Croll, Variety, 29 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Mark Rodriguez’ display, in his front yard in Houston, shows two mannequins in red hats, face masks, black shirts and khaki pants with zip ties in their pockets being hanged from a noose.
    Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Navab said Steve Hosman, the sergeant who allegedly put the noose on Caver’s jacket had been cited for making racist comments about Black people, but instead of facing repercussions he was promoted.
    William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 24 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • In the skit, a camera catches fans at a game dancing and cuts to the two who dump their popcorns, do the robot and then turn back-to-back and pose.
    Bryan West, USA Today, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Will Shipley would be more of the pass-catching value, and Dillon the early-down and goal-line option, not to say both can’t do both things — hence, the hot hand (and hence for the second time).
    Jake Ciely, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The app is available in English across 145 countries for all logged-in ChatGPT Free, Plus, and Pro accounts, on both web and mobile (iOS and Android).
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Those included a successful 2023 case brought by a Colorado web designer who said having to create websites for same-sex weddings would violate her free speech rights.
    Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 7 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In a TikTok video, the woman shared the moment when her dog, a cocker spaniel named Tiki, jumped up and snatched her burger right out of her hand.
    Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
  • That will further snatch sales from November and December.
    David Moin, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Snare.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snare. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.

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