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
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
  • English also says that protective or tight styles can also lead to matting if left in too long, by compacting tangles at the base.
    Grace McCarty, Glamour, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Aside from Blast vacuuming, the X9 improves on the X8 by adding zero-tangle technology to the side brush and the main brush.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Video surveillance from the scene posted online by Fox 11 shows a man lingering near a doorway, quickly grabbing the gift box from a table and running out of the venue.
    Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2025
  • The owner wanted to keep the grab-and-go options previously offered in the space.
    La Risa R. Lynch, jsonline.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Like some of the ambush drones recently seen in Ukraine, Viper can have small solar cells, powering its sensors and communications for an indefinite period, as well as slowly recharging the battery.
    David Hambling, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
  • The mission has also lost two members of its force in gang ambushes; while one has been confirmed dead the other is still been regarded as missing even though local media has reported him as dead.
    Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 1 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • 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
  • In 2019, Smollett, who is Black and gay, claimed that he was attacked by two men who yelled racist and homophobic slurs at him, poured bleach on him and wrapped a noose around his neck.
    Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 22 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Now, the Bears are close to catching back up, as the score is 27-24 at the time of this writing.
    James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025
  • In February, more than 40 people were killed in southern Mexico when a bus traveling to Tabasco from the tourist city of Cancun hit a trailer truck and caught fire.
    Lizbeth Diaz, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Beneficiaries would have to verify their own identities by using an often-confusing web portal or by traveling to a field office to do it in person.
    Eli Hager, ProPublica, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Amazon took a hit as some investors feared its web services division was falling behind Microsoft’s Azure.
    Julie Coleman, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • After some initial snags—customers receiving duplicate cards, criminals snatching unclaimed ones out of mailboxes—the cards began to turn a profit.
    Michael Waters, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Local leaders claim immigrants are wrongfully being snatched off the street by federal agents looking to root out violent criminals.
    Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Snare.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snare. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

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