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
Five people were killed and 12 others remained trapped after a landslide in northwestern China, state media said Tuesday. — ABC News, 7 July 2026 Officials said the three victims became trapped inside one of the motel rooms as the fire spread. — Paloma Chavez, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026 The normally prickly and unsympathetic Harriet Oleson (Katherine MacGregor) switches gears into hero mode, rounding up the town's men to scour the countryside for the children who've become trapped. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 3 July 2026 According to the automaker, smaller occupants could become trapped beneath the seatback, increasing the risk of injury. — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 2 July 2026 Some of the deportees survived the hotel’s collapse, but many remain trapped in the rubble. — Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 30 June 2026 Food particles and microorganisms can become trapped in the nicks, grooves, and scratches on the board. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 28 June 2026 In many cases, high performers become trapped in cycles of over-functioning. — Dr. Sharon H. Porter, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026 The driver fell from the vehicle and became trapped underneath, Gonzalez said. — Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 25 June 2026
Verb
If trapped by moving water, seek the highest possible point and contact emergency services by calling 911. — Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 9 July 2026 If trapped by moving water, seek the highest possible point and contact emergency services by calling 911. — Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 8 July 2026 But March’s westside trapped is a stunning left turn even for an artist whose defining characteristic to date is a penchant for change. — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 8 July 2026 Two people were temporarily trapped, one in the bus and another in a vehicle, the fire department said. — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 8 July 2026 And yet, instead of becoming trapped beneath the weight of expectations, Vaniček uses those ingredients as permission to experiment. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 8 July 2026 The young woman who had been trapped behind him died beneath the rubble. — Sonia Osorio, Miami Herald, 8 July 2026 The result sounds like being trapped inside a telephone switchboard, full of repeating signals, samples, and scraps. — Debby Wolfinsohn, Entertainment Weekly, 7 July 2026 The child, identified by authorities as Klieber Moran, was rescued after spending six days trapped beneath the rubble, Rodríguez said. — Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 1 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
  • In other words, the valuable part of any message, the signal, can easily get tangled up in noise.
    — Michael Ashley, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • During the first game, the Fever’s Caitlin Clark and the Mercury’s DeWanna Bonner got tangled up, said some unkind things, and five players wound up with technical fouls in the aftermath.
    — Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 2 July 2026
Definition of tangled
Verb
  • Kane has grabbed the headlines, but Bellingham is England’s MVP so far.
    — Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 July 2026
  • During the encore, Lifeson fired a foam arrow at Peart and the drummer grabbed it and stuffed it in his mouth.
    — Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026
Definition of grabbed
Adjective
  • One was an enslaved young poet whose words crossed the Atlantic before they were fully embraced at home.
    — Robin Follman, Oc Register, 4 July 2026
  • That if you were deemed, as an enslaved person, if you were deemed troublesome or in some way unwanted, you would literally be sold down the river from the more northern states to the deeper south where you would potentially be treated even worse.
    — Dana Taylor, USA Today, 3 July 2026
Definition of enslaved
Verb
  • 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
  • Two people were partially entrapped in the debris but managed to free themselves and safely escape the building.
    — Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 6 July 2026
Definition of entrapped
Verb
  • Nguyen said that led to an epiphany — and the creation of an Atlanta-area business that has caught the attention of social media scrollers, celebrity clientele and global automakers.
    — Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 10 July 2026
  • Tyler officially caught the singing bug after placing second at the talent show hosted by a local rugby club.
    — Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 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 operation, ProPublica found, ensnared innocent residents of the majority-Black city who said they were targeted and harassed because of their race.
    — Topher Sanders, ProPublica, 30 June 2026
  • By 2014, the Honeywells and their compound were ensnared in local controversy.
    — Daniel de Visé, USA Today, 28 June 2026
Definition of ensnared

Browse Nearby Words

trapezists
trapped
trapper
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Trapped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trapped. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

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