trapped 1 of 2

adjective

as in bound

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trapped

2 of 2

verb

past tense of trap
1
as in tangled
to catch or hold as if in a net an ambitious young man who was now trapped in a series of shady business deals

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in grabbed
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

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 trapped
Adjective
One of the ride’s most dramatic moments came when Gianni, ridden by Jennifer Fisher of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, became trapped among boulders in the Granite Chief Wilderness. — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 3 Aug. 2026 Audit domestic settlement friction (cutoff times, trapped balances, reconciliation headcount) rather than only international corridors. — Alex Odagiu, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 People whose vehicles remain trapped in the parking garage beneath the Empire Towers building in Glen Burnie, which was evacuated and declared unsafe on July 9, could be waiting months to get them back. — Adam Thompson, CBS News, 30 July 2026 Qubits based on trapped ions or neutral atoms don’t have this limitation. — ArsTechnica, 29 July 2026 Many researchers theorize that carbon can remain trapped underground for extended periods of time. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 29 July 2026 Season 14 ended on a cliffhanger after Cruz and several members of Firehouse 51 became trapped inside a burning storage facility. — Charlie Carballo, USA Today, 29 July 2026 Investigations from Bloomberg have uncovered more than a dozen deaths from crashes in which people became trapped inside a Tesla because the doors wouldn’t open. — J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 23 July 2026 The trapped blood creates pressure that can further injure the remaining healthy tissue, Winter says. — Angela Haupt, Time, 22 July 2026
Verb
Anyone trapped by rising flood waters or otherwise in immediate danger from weather conditions should call 911. — Katie Houlis, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026 Extensive amounts of smoke are being trapped in place by an intense area of high pressure stuck over the West. — Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026 Ababu stated there could be more people trapped in the debris. — Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 5 Aug. 2026 The goal is to create flexibility and reduce the risk of being trapped in a heavily taxable income structure later in life. — Joel Barjenbruch, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026 This fire will lead to a meaningful dip in air quality along the Sierra foothills over the coming days as smoke becomes trapped along the mountains. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 4 Aug. 2026 The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said many people could be trapped inside the mall, NHK reported. — Jon Haworth, ABC News, 29 July 2026 When rule-follower Ellie stumbles upon tomboy Ashley trapped in a Hot Topic at the mall, she becomes swept up into her world. — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 29 July 2026 Once trapped, the electron’s spin, which can be up, down, or a superposition of the two, can be used as a qubit. — ArsTechnica, 29 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trapped
  1. bound
  2. tangled
  3. grabbed
  4. enslaved
  5. entrapped
  6. caught
  7. confined
  8. ensnared
Adjective
  • The team checked this directly by computing how much of each galaxy's baryon budget actually stayed bound to the system.
    — Paul Sutter, Space.com, 9 June 2026
  • To help calculate a lower bound, Erdős assumed that the points would be laid out in a grid.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 1 June 2026
Definition of bound
Verb
  • Then Cox-Rosen found another jam on I-75 southbound at the South 120 Loop (Exit 263), where four or five vehicles and a box truck tangled.
    — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 9 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of tangled
Verb
  • In an attempt to stop the dog attack, the owner grabbed a gun and shot the attacking dog.
    — Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Mulholland grabbed his assistant and told his chauffeur to head there.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of grabbed
Adjective
  • Historian Jennifer Morgan similarly contends that enslaved women’s reproductive capacities were essential for the economic logic of hereditary racial slavery.
    — Kari Traylor, JSTOR Daily, 29 July 2026
  • While standing at the case, visitors can hear the audio of the speech where Douglass criticizes Americans celebrating freedom while millions remain enslaved.
    — Kaitlyn Harvey, AJC.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of enslaved
Verb
  • Robert is unwittingly entrapped, and has absconded with something mob bigwig Lombardi wants revenge for.
    — Leigh Haber, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026
  • There were 27 people inside the store at the time, including two who became partially entrapped but were able to free themselves and safely leave, according to local authorities.
    — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 6 July 2026
Definition of entrapped
Verb
  • Rangel caught the word himself, mid-sentence, describing where small firms sit.
    — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The players argue they were effectively caught between two different NCAA eligibility systems.
    — Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of caught
Adjective
  • Roughly the size of a large dog and weighing more than 110 pounds (50 kilograms), the quadruped robot is designed to navigate industrial facilities that include staircases, narrow walkways, uneven surfaces, and confined spaces.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 22 June 2026
  • 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
Definition of confined
Verb
  • The irony here is that Singer is returning to his profession while so many ensnared in his application shenanigans never fully got back to theirs.
    — Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Off the field, head coach Mike Vrabel was ensnared in controversy.
    — Jim Reineking, USA Today, 27 July 2026
Definition of ensnared

Browse Nearby Words

trapezists
trapped
trapper
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Cite this Entry

“Trapped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trapped. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of trapped for Spanish Speakers

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