Synonyms of trap

trap 1 of 2

noun

ˈtrap 

1

as in ambush

a device or scheme for capturing another by surprise

undercover agents devised a trap to catch the counterfeiters

a bear trap

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ambush
• snare
• ruse
• web
• net
• trick
• deception
• entrapment
• entanglement
• pitfall
• catch
• envelopment
• hazard
• snag
• subterfuge
• ploy
• land mine
• duplicity
• cheat
• enmeshment
• cheating
• booby trap
• double-dealing
• artifice

2

as in ambushment

a setup in which hidden attackers lie in wait

an overland route to the Far East that was once notorious for the many robbers who laid traps for unsuspecting wayfarers

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ambush
• ambushment
• attack
• surprise
• ambuscade
• snare
• assault
• capture
• entrapment
• mousetrap
• hunting
• charge
• sally
• stalking

3

as in tangle

something that catches and holds

the promotion is really just a trap to keep her from taking a new job elsewhere

Synonyms & Similar Words

• tangle
• snare
• labyrinth
• quicksand
• maze
• web
• entanglement
• noose
• quagmire
• net
• morass
• mesh(es)
• tanglement
• toil(s)
• snarl
• knot
• cobweb
• spiderweb
• cat's cradle

4

as in mouth

slang the opening through which food passes into the body of an animal

shut your trap before someone belts you one!

Synonyms & Similar Words

• mouth
• chops
• gob
• jaws
• kisser
• mug
• yap
• piehole
• face
• muzzle
• puss
• countenance
• visage
• maw
• mandible
• gullet
• maxilla

trap

2 of 2

verb

1

as in to tangle

to catch or hold as if in a net

an ambitious young man who was now trapped in a series of shady business deals

Synonyms & Similar Words

• tangle
• entrap
• snare
• ensnare
• mesh
• enmesh
• net
• capture
• entangle
• involve
• catch up
• ensnarl
• entoil
• implicate
• collar
• mire
• birdlime
• embroil
• bag

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• disentangle
• detach
• extricate
• disengage
• free
• liberate
• clear
• untangle

2

as in to grab

to take physical control or possession of (something) suddenly or forcibly

finally trapped the annoying fly in the palm of his hand

Synonyms & Similar Words

• grab
• catch
• capture
• snatch
• seize
• snare
• get
• land
• hook
• snag
• net
• rap
• nab
• corral
• grapple
• bag
• snap (up)
• nail
• take hold (of)
• cop
• rope
• collar
• nobble
• clutch
• grasp
• glove
• glom
• arrest
• hold
• grip
• apprehend
• entrap
• ensnare
• kidnap
• bay
• secure
• detain
• fist
• corner
• mesh
• clasp
• latch (on or onto)
• entangle
• lasso
• rend
• fasten (on)
• halter
• abduct
• spirit (away or off)
• wrest
• enmesh

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• miss
• release
• discharge
• free
• liberate
• drop
• loosen
• unhand

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb trap contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of trap are bag, capture, catch, ensnare, entrap, and snare. 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 could bag be used to replace trap?

The words bag and trap can be used in similar contexts, but bag implies shooting down a fleeing or distant prey.

bagged a brace of pheasants

When is it sensible to use capture instead of trap?

While in some cases nearly identical to trap, capture suggests taking by overcoming resistance or difficulty.

capture an enemy stronghold

When might catch be a better fit than trap?

In some situations, the words catch and trap are roughly equivalent. However, catch implies the seizing of something in motion or in flight or in hiding.

caught the dog as it ran by

How do entrap and ensnare relate to one another, in the sense of trap?

Both entrap and ensnare more often are figurative.

entrapped the witness with a trick question

a sting operation that ensnared burglars

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of trap

Noun

Frantic skirmishes between the family and the beast take place as the house floods, and eventually the invading creature is tangled up in a trap. — William Earl, Variety, 8 Aug. 2026

And yet, more often than not, modern-day biopic films are disappointments, inert movies that fall into the same narrative traps, leaving audiences cold. — Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 8 Aug. 2026

Verb

As North Koreans continue to infiltrate companies by securing remote IT jobs, a pair of cybersecurity researchers hit back by creating a fake startup to trap them and monitor their activities. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 11 Aug. 2026

Multistory buildings and homes tumbled, trapping people underneath. — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026

Phrases Containing trap

• booby trap