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
For instance, the researchers uncovered an incident from 2008, when scientists had observed a male chimp freeing an unrelated female from a nylon snare set by hunters to trap game. Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 May 2025 Wild chimpanzees have been observed self-medicating their wounds with plants, providing medical aid to other chimps and even removing others from snares left by human hunters, new research suggests. Evan Bush, NBC news, 14 May 2025
Verb
Inside a narrow, precarious passageway, his left foot was snared by a rock. Laura Collins-Hughes, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2025 His case is connected to the same betting ring that snared former NBA player Jontay Porter, who was banned from the league for life. Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 30 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for snare
Recent Examples of Synonyms for snare
Noun
  • Wolves are killed across the Northern Rockies using steel-jawed traps, neck snares, packs of dogs and even snowmobiles.
    Jim Martin, Denver Post, 27 June 2025
  • Furthermore, Indigenous peoples used Amelanchier branches to craft arrow shafts, baskets, ropes, fish traps, and tools for unearthing root crops, writes Jeffrey A. Hart.
    The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 27 June 2025
Noun
  • About a dozen streets on it bore names; the rest was a tangle of lines.
    The New York Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 June 2025
  • That development was paused amid a tangle of lawsuits in 2023 and 2024, but is moving forward after the cases were resolved in November and March.
    Nick Rosenberger, Idaho Statesman, 4 June 2025
Verb
  • My father seemed to crumple a little, shuddering, grabbing the edge of his desk to steady himself.
    Ottessa Moshfegh, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
  • Now, folks heading to Shenandoah National Park or beyond can grab some gas, hit the jerky wall, nab a Dr Pepper Icee, load up on fudge, use the famously clean bathrooms, and stock up on Buc-ee’s merch before heading back out on the road.
    Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 30 June 2025
Noun
  • She was frequently caught short by the playwright’s winking ambush.
    Han Ong, New Yorker, 22 June 2025
  • The new film continues the saga with a fresh high-stakes adventure, in which the fearsome Countess of Gral ambushes Captain Sabertooth’s ship, stealing a sacred figurehead and kidnapping young crewmate Pinky.
    Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 10 June 2025
Noun
  • The noose was still hanging when Hartsfield returned to the store the next day, according to the suit.
    Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 June 2025
  • Once again South Africa are agonizingly on the cusp of ending cricket’s most infamous hoodoo, so close to removing the noose that has been hanging over them for more than three decades.
    Tristan Lavalette, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025
Verb
  • That unique twist is exactly what caught the attention of Quinn Cosgrove, bass player for local Kansas band The Whips.
    Ramal Nasim, Kansas City Star, 28 June 2025
  • With the unlikelihood of Saudi Arabia catching any strays, WWE talent arrived in Riyadh this week with no incident.
    Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
Noun
  • Identity Theft companies can monitor personal information like your Social Security Number (SSN), phone number, and email address and alert you if it is being sold on the dark web or being used to open an account.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2025
  • While a recent News Corp investor report said the Post’s web traffic had dipped, the national media’s focus on Mamdani and his plans to change New York could provide good fodder for the paper and segments on Fox News.
    Max Tani, semafor.com, 30 June 2025
Verb
  • Last year a cat was caught leaping over the sink to snatch some spaghetti from the side.
    Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 June 2025
  • Shaevitz’s Toot went from underdog to semi-finalist, nearly making it to the end to snatch the $200,000 grand prize.
    Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 26 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Snare.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snare. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.

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