TRAPPED Synonyms: 96 Similar and Opposite Words

trapped 1 of 2

adjective

as in bound

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Dissimilar Words

trapped

2 of 2

verb

past tense of trap

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

To escape this new reality, the duo must confront the weight of their lineage and decide whether their love can break the cycle or if they’re doomed to remain trapped forever. — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 14 July 2026 This is what can lead to trapped water, which can cause a ton of costly structural damage. — Molly Burford, Southern Living, 10 July 2026 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

Verb

Taylor-Joy brings the necessary confidence to her confidence woman, while still conveying the childlike fear inherent to a character who’s felt trapped her whole life. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 15 July 2026 Fine particles trapped in microfiber can scratch surfaces like glass and crystal. — Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 15 July 2026 What to read next Within one lunar week (which is roughly seven months on Earth), over half the methane was trapped at the moon's cold polar areas, with a whopping 42% of the substance trapped at the south pole compared to 12% at the north pole. — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 14 July 2026 The film follows a man trapped inside a bar, where reality begins to unravel in increasingly disturbing ways. — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 14 July 2026 The film, titled Medium Rare, will be about a man, presumably played by Cook, who gets trapped inside a bar and sees reality come undone in front of him. — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 14 July 2026 If you are trapped by moving water, move to the highest possible point and call 911 if possible. — Natassia Paloma, USA Today, 14 July 2026 In a dead pool, about 240 feet of water would be trapped at the bottom of the canyon, unable to flow to millions of people who rely on it in Arizona, California and Nevada, the Lake Powell Chronicle reported. — Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 13 July 2026 Realizing others were still trapped, Loc recorded a short video and alerted other boat operators in the area. — CBS News, 13 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for trapped

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

The man in the water Tanner Mansell is, in many ways, the bill’s perfect antagonist — and the clearest illustration of how tangled this fight has become.

— Kate Waxman, Sun Sentinel, 19 July 2026
Each strand is like a beautiful clump of calligraphy all tangled up in itself, as captivating and lonely as any earthwork.

— Hilton Als, New Yorker, 17 July 2026

Definition of tangled

Verb

The victim followed the fleeing Jeep on foot and grabbed onto the vehicle when it got stuck in traffic, authorities said.

— Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 16 July 2026
In September 2020, author Elin Hilderbrand grabbed a drink at the Nantucket Hotel bar with a visiting writer friend.

— Clarissa Cruz, Entertainment Weekly, 16 July 2026

Definition of grabbed

Adjective

Robinson plays Henry, an enslaved person working on a plantation in Texas who’s wrongly accused of raping his master’s wife.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026
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

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

But attorneys Reid Kingsbury for Payton and Linda Parisi for Martin argued the two men, though armed that night, were caught in a burst of spontaneous gunfire triggered by Sergio Harris and fired back to defend themselves.

— Darrell Smith July 16, Sacbee.com, 17 July 2026
SpaceX has caught Super Heavy three times to date, but it's been a while; the last such snag came on Flight 8 in March 2025.

— Mike Wall, Space.com, 16 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

But years later, some of the highest-flying professional clubs have folded due to financial mismanagement, and dozens of soccer officials have been banned or imprisoned, and numerous teams ensnared in an anti-graft campaign.

— Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 21 July 2026
Torn between brotherly love and marital loyalty, Irwin discovers he’s ensnared in forces far beyond his control.

— Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 16 July 2026

Definition of ensnared

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trapezists

trapped

trapper

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Style

“Trapped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trapped. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of trapped

adjective

verb

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