1
as in traps
a device or scheme for capturing another by surprise
you fell for my clever snare, you fool!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in tangles
something that catches and holds
someday you'll find that your lies are a snare from which you can't escape
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in nets
to catch or hold as if in a net
easily distracted by any bright object that snared his eye
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in grabs
to take physical control or possession of (something) suddenly or forcibly
campers trying to snare brook trout for supper
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 snares
Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 13 Apr. 2026
Conservationists-in-the-making can join hands-on efforts like removing poacher snares, clearing invasive plants, or collecting data on endangered species.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Mar. 2026
One photographer visited Uganda and captured the striking image of a mountain of snares, used to trap wildlife and confiscated by the nation’s rangers.
—Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 4 Feb. 2026
The team used non-invasive survey tools, including 285 hair snares and 135 remote cameras, to collect the information from a 150-square-mile area, the institute said.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
The team gathered their marten data via 285 hair snares (made from PVC pipe) and 135 cameras.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 22 Jan. 2026
Its graphic clarity teems with ornament and glitter, visual intoxications that signal delusions and snares.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2026
In other parts of the state, hoop nets and crab snares may be used.
—Linda Zavoral, Mercury News, 26 Oct. 2025
But those Prince-like snares are rounded out with a full string orchestra of Swedish musicians.
—Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2025
Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
Maybe Deandre Ayton snares his first signature Lakers moment.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2025
Noun
Magaletti ventures a tentative introduction of brushes on snares; following the muted peal of distant thunder, upsammy chimes in with a plangent synthesizer sequence reminiscent of Arovane and other IDM producers from around the turn of the millennium.
—Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 13 Apr. 2026
Conservationists-in-the-making can join hands-on efforts like removing poacher snares, clearing invasive plants, or collecting data on endangered species.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Mar. 2026
One photographer visited Uganda and captured the striking image of a mountain of snares, used to trap wildlife and confiscated by the nation’s rangers.
—Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 4 Feb. 2026
The team used non-invasive survey tools, including 285 hair snares and 135 remote cameras, to collect the information from a 150-square-mile area, the institute said.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
The team gathered their marten data via 285 hair snares (made from PVC pipe) and 135 cameras.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 22 Jan. 2026
Its graphic clarity teems with ornament and glitter, visual intoxications that signal delusions and snares.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2026
In other parts of the state, hoop nets and crab snares may be used.
—Linda Zavoral, Mercury News, 26 Oct. 2025
But those Prince-like snares are rounded out with a full string orchestra of Swedish musicians.
—Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
Hair snares use tape and wire to collect DNA and other data by collecting a sample of wild animal hair when creatures pass by, according to Popular Science.
—Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
Maybe Deandre Ayton snares his first signature Lakers moment.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for snares
Noun
-
The problem is, when your side lack intensity, aggression and cohesion, those traps are easy to spot and avoid.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
-
Diversions and traps are also triggered through the watch, opening up creative routes through missions.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
For dogs and cats, the Hertzko Double-Sided Dog and Cat Dematting Comb has teeth designed for intense tangles and matting.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
15 May 2026
-
Scratched carpets are buried under tangles of wires and computing gear.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
Next, Beth grabs her father's hat, perched on a stand next to the photograph.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
-
So, pay attention to what grabs your attention now, because the cosmos could be delivering a message through the most random interaction, TikTok scroll or overheard conversation.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Even in areas not under its direct control, the widespread sympathy in rural areas allows JNIM to set up ambushes along the main roads and dominate the main supply routes into the capitals, especially in Mali.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
10 May 2026
-
Service members could face ambushes en route, and specialized units would need to extract the uranium.—
Jonathan Lemire,
The Atlantic,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This novel of exile and memory chronicles the life of Sufien, a Palestinian man displaced as a child by the Nakba, whose story unfolds across continents and encompasses entanglements with a broad range of characters.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
My guiding principle would be protecting American interests while avoiding unnecessary entanglements—making decisions grounded in facts, realism, and a clear understanding of the regional, economic, and security implications involved.—
Rachel Royster
May 14,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Power—the explosive, fast-twitch capacity that catches you mid-fall—goes first.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
15 May 2026
-
All this will come to the fore when Apple eventually sorts out its own AI strategy and catches iPhone up with other platforms.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Certainly the puzzles for Karpathy got harder—neural nets and then language models—but the method never really changed.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
19 May 2026
-
Ranch houses and soccer nets dotted the background.—
Dan Greene,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Dubbed the Velvet Gang, the trio snatches the overpriced, often monochromatic fashion threads designed by Christie Smith (Demi Moore, in a performance of comedic genius), a pretentious piece of work who stations herself in a leaning building (wink, win to San Francisco there).—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
19 May 2026
-
When the Mafia snatches her anyway, his PTSD returns and launches him on a dark path to vengeance.—
K. Thor Jensen,
PC Magazine,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Snares.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snares. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
