trapped 1 of 2

trapped

2 of 2

verb

past tense of trap

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 trapped
Adjective
These byproducts, chloramines, form when the chlorine molecules bind with the organic matter (dirt, body oil, sweat) in towels and become trapped in the fibers. Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 7 June 2026 Two Broward Sheriff's Office deputies and off-duty Fort Lauderdale Fire Captain Keith Costa were the first responders on scene, diving into the canal to help the trapped woman. CBS News, 6 June 2026 Avoid heavy mulching to encourage airflow and prevent trapped moisture. Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 5 June 2026 Chakkrit said earlier this week that rescuers were focused on draining water from the cave and finding alternative ways to get in, with diving operations suspended for fear that the divers could also become trapped if there were a sudden downpour. Janis MacKey Frayer, NBC news, 4 June 2026 Expert divers shared further details of Saturday’s plan to evacuate the four men who remain trapped in the cave, with two still missing. CNN Money, 30 May 2026 Finding the source can be challenging, from the toilet to drains and trapped moisture. Bestreviews, Mercury News, 29 May 2026 The trapped villagers were provided water and soft food as well as foil blankets for warmth, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. David Chiu, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026 Four people were killed and 90 remain trapped following a coal mine accident in northern China, according to Chinese state media. Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 22 May 2026
Verb
Shakespeare’s comedies especially understand the joy of watching people get trapped in schemes and plots well beyond their control. Literary Hub, 2 June 2026 The economy has been devastated, and many feel trapped between a government with no mercy and a future with no clear path forward. Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 2 June 2026 Container ships that typically deliver much of the food and other goods to Gulf states have also been trapped by the strait’s closure. Vanessa Yurkevich, CNN Money, 2 June 2026 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pleaded for more help from the United States after the strikes, which left people trapped under the rubble of apartment buildings and residents scrambling to shelter underground as smoke billowed over the capital Kyiv. Kaylah Jackson, NBC news, 2 June 2026 The five kids called for help and were unable to leave, remaining trapped for several minutes until the group left the park, according to the sheriff's office's press release. Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026 Maria Fernanda González Garcia, 25, and another construction worker, who wasn’t identified, were trapped underneath a structural column that suddenly fell while it was being erected, the Miami Police Department said. Sofia Saric june 2, Miami Herald, 2 June 2026 The trickle of traffic comes as the strait has been effectively shut for three months, keeping one-fifth of the world’s oil supplies as well as 2,000 ships trapped in the Persian Gulf. Jason Ma, Fortune, 1 June 2026 The news quickly drew headlines in Thailand because of its resemblance to the dramatic 2018 cave rescue in northern Thailand, where 12 boys and their soccer coach were trapped for more than two weeks before being safely rescued in an operation that became a global sensation. ABC News, 26 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trapped
Adjective
  • Years later, when tragedy strikes again and a mysterious inheritance surfaces, Ruth is forced to confront unsettling truths about the women who raised her and decide whether to redefine her future or remain bound to the past.
    Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 22 May 2026
  • The bound paper booklets in which students hand-write their responses to test questions have surged in popularity during the AI explosion.
    Jamil Zaki, CNBC, 12 May 2026
Verb
  • Representative Mike Collins and former football coach Derek Dooley are tangled in a bitter contest that’s headed to a runoff on June 16.
    Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 29 May 2026
  • The Thunder’s history on May 28 is troubled and tangled.
    Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 29 May 2026
Verb
  • He's also grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out 4 assists.
    Andrew Greif, NBC news, 4 June 2026
  • Spurs reserve Harrison Barnes accidentally collided with Brunson's right knee while falling to the floor, and the Knicks star immediately grabbed at the leg in apparent pain.
    Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 4 June 2026
Adjective
  • Wrong As Levenson tells it, in the early 18th century, a couple of forward-thinking Westerners learned about inoculations against smallpox from Ottoman women and an enslaved African.
    Diana Gitig, ArsTechnica, 30 May 2026
  • The Portuguese transported the banana, along with enslaved people, to the Canary Islands and other territories across the Atlantic.
    Sophia Rey, JSTOR Daily, 28 May 2026
Verb
  • At least one person was entrapped in the wreckage, according to the Forney Police Department.
    Steven Rosenbaum, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026
  • Stevenson insists that the goal of the Legacy Museum is not to present Alabama as irredeemably racist or forever entrapped by its past.
    Clint Smith, The Atlantic, 19 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • If caught in a rip current, remain calm.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 5 June 2026
  • Darryl Brown, a sergeant in the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, was caught with the missing items after the photojournalist used a geo-tracking device to trace her missing gear to his home, the state’s attorney general said Thursday.
    ABC News, ABC News, 4 June 2026
Adjective
  • Sewers can contain numerous hazards, including noxious and potentially deadly gases, unstable surfaces, flooding risks, and confined spaces.
    Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 31 May 2026
  • Darker colors like charcoal or slate gray absorb light and can make a kitchen feel more confined.
    Shagun Khare, The Spruce, 24 May 2026
Verb
  • Those charges followed a sprawling indictment of 34 defendants that also ensnared Hall of Fame player and Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and former Lakers assistant coach Damon Jones.
    Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
  • Over 30 people, including members and associates of four major Mafia crime families, Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and ex-NBA player Damon Jones, have been ensnared in the criminal operation.
    Tom Winter, NBC news, 28 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Trapped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trapped. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.

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