1
as in tangling
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in grabbing
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
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Recent Examples of trapping
Nurse had Philadelphia trapping throughout the floor, and that led to Sacramento missing shots and turning over the basketball.
—
Tony Jones, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Even though trapping itself isn’t painful to the animal, some anti-trappers and hunters are uncomfortable with the idea of an animal being captive, or experiencing fear when the trapper arrives to check the trap.
—Skye Goode, Outdoor Life, 29 Jan. 2026
This configuration allows gas to pass through the electrode, trapping carbon dioxide and converting it simultaneously into formic acid.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 29 Jan. 2026
Instead, the gases compete with each other, with the presence of one gas actually hindering the adsorption, or trapping, of the others.
—Natalia Sánchez Loayza, Scientific American, 29 Jan. 2026
But trends in recent decades point to an overall warming of average temperatures across all seasons from human activities such as fossil-fuel burning that release heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere.
—Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 25 Jan. 2026
Firefighters were investigating gas odor reports when the explosion struck the 15th and 16th floors, trapping some firefighters in an elevator.
—Dave Collins, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2026
While crews were investigating, an explosion rocked the 15th and 16th floors, setting off multiple fires and briefly trapping firefighters in an elevator.
—Mark Prussin, CBS News, 24 Jan. 2026
Climate risk is trapping value in place.
—Bill Frist, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Tony Jones, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Even though trapping itself isn’t painful to the animal, some anti-trappers and hunters are uncomfortable with the idea of an animal being captive, or experiencing fear when the trapper arrives to check the trap.
—Skye Goode, Outdoor Life, 29 Jan. 2026
This configuration allows gas to pass through the electrode, trapping carbon dioxide and converting it simultaneously into formic acid.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 29 Jan. 2026
Instead, the gases compete with each other, with the presence of one gas actually hindering the adsorption, or trapping, of the others.
—Natalia Sánchez Loayza, Scientific American, 29 Jan. 2026
But trends in recent decades point to an overall warming of average temperatures across all seasons from human activities such as fossil-fuel burning that release heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere.
—Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 25 Jan. 2026
Firefighters were investigating gas odor reports when the explosion struck the 15th and 16th floors, trapping some firefighters in an elevator.
—Dave Collins, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2026
While crews were investigating, an explosion rocked the 15th and 16th floors, setting off multiple fires and briefly trapping firefighters in an elevator.
—Mark Prussin, CBS News, 24 Jan. 2026
Climate risk is trapping value in place.
—Bill Frist, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trapping
Verb
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This will help prevent tangling and stretching during the wash cycle.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
11 Jan. 2026
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Laces can be washed in the same load, ideally tucked into another laundry bag to prevent tangling.—
Katie Cloyd,
Martha Stewart,
29 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Thomas then appeared to quickly lunge at Leon, swiftly grabbing and lifting him up before body slamming the suspect to the ground.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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SpaceX was also famously involved in funding and operating the headline-grabbing Polaris Dawn crewed commercial mission in September 2024.—
Eric Lagatta,
AZCentral.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Getting young people to trust and depend on the traffickers is part of entrapping them.—
Anne P. DePrince,
The Conversation,
17 Dec. 2025
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One of the most disturbing sequences on this show is Gacy luring in and entrapping 15-year-old Robert Piest (Ryker Baloun), whose disappearance is where the series starts.—
Derek Lawrence,
Vulture,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Many eventually settled in North Beach, or Little Italy, and wound up catching salmon in the summer and crab in the winter.—
Becky Duffett,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
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Laferriere tied the score just over two minutes later by taking Perry’s pass from behind the net and catching Hofer off the left post.—
Daily News,
Daily News,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Pickens was even more dominant, snaring nine balls for 144 yards and a score.—
Matthew Schmidt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Nov. 2025
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At least Cochrane was familiar with the feeling of snaring an interception.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Zayn winning in Montreal after eating an RKO and a Razor’s Edge, then snatching the pin on Priest with a Helluva Kick, gave you the biggest pop and the clearest storyline payoff of the night.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
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Masked agents snatching preschoolers off the street and sending them to Texas detention centers serves none of those purposes.—
Ryan Mancini,
The Hill,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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That observation drove home for me how ensnaring this oppression must feel, how vast the spatial footprint of ICE’s boot.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
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The Greek name is of uncertain origin, but it’s often linked to ideas of binding, entangling, or ensnaring—reflecting the Sirens’ deadly allure.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
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These photos document the people, places, and events that defined Austin in January — capturing moments of protest, resilience, competition, and community during a month of extremes.—
Ricardo B. Brazziell,
Austin American Statesman,
1 Feb. 2026
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Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns has been capturing the past for nearly 50 years and chronicling some of the most significant events in American history, from the Civil War to the origins of baseball.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Trapping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trapping. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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