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
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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
If those steps don’t work, Kellum said other options might include trapping and potentially using nonlethal projectiles, such as paint balls, to chase away, haze and deter them.
—
Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2026
Skies clear out Tuesday night and, without the blanket of heat-trapping clouds, temperatures will drop even more by Wednesday morning, with lows near freezing.
—Newsroom Meteorologist, Austin American Statesman, 30 Dec. 2025
Insulation fights conduction by trapping air in a web of tiny pockets, slowing the heat’s escape.
—Longji Cui, The Conversation, 26 Dec. 2025
That was when Eyles’ still-moving car rolled forward, trapping him between the car door and against a structural piece of the restaurant.
—David Chiu, PEOPLE, 25 Dec. 2025
More than 14,000 years ago, a den collapsed around two female pups in northern Siberia, trapping them.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 23 Dec. 2025
Groups like the Fur Free Alliance, the International Anti-Fur Coalition, and PETA are doubling down on their efforts to discourage fur farms and trapping animals for their skins.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 22 Dec. 2025
The clinic itself began with the name Fix Our Ferals to care for community cats by trapping them, neutering them, and returning them to where they were found.
—Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 21 Dec. 2025
Extending mortgages to 50 years would increase total interest paid and slow the buildup of home equity, potentially trapping borrowers in debt for a lifetime.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 Nov. 2025
Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2026
Skies clear out Tuesday night and, without the blanket of heat-trapping clouds, temperatures will drop even more by Wednesday morning, with lows near freezing.
—Newsroom Meteorologist, Austin American Statesman, 30 Dec. 2025
Insulation fights conduction by trapping air in a web of tiny pockets, slowing the heat’s escape.
—Longji Cui, The Conversation, 26 Dec. 2025
That was when Eyles’ still-moving car rolled forward, trapping him between the car door and against a structural piece of the restaurant.
—David Chiu, PEOPLE, 25 Dec. 2025
More than 14,000 years ago, a den collapsed around two female pups in northern Siberia, trapping them.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 23 Dec. 2025
Groups like the Fur Free Alliance, the International Anti-Fur Coalition, and PETA are doubling down on their efforts to discourage fur farms and trapping animals for their skins.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 22 Dec. 2025
The clinic itself began with the name Fix Our Ferals to care for community cats by trapping them, neutering them, and returning them to where they were found.
—Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 21 Dec. 2025
Extending mortgages to 50 years would increase total interest paid and slow the buildup of home equity, potentially trapping borrowers in debt for a lifetime.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trapping
Verb
-
Laces can be washed in the same load, ideally tucked into another laundry bag to prevent tangling.—
Katie Cloyd,
Martha Stewart,
29 Dec. 2025
-
The large brush roll resists tangling hair and pet fur, which eliminates the need to stop and pull items off the brush—and also eliminates a clogged pipe.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
23 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Take after the actress by grabbing them in black, or choose from six additional colors, including burgundy and deep brown.—
Averi Baudler,
PEOPLE,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Healthy cooking often boils down to accessibility and convenience; busy lives can leave people grabbing less nutritious alternatives.—
Virginia Willis,
AJC.com,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Getting young people to trust and depend on the traffickers is part of entrapping them.—
Anne P. DePrince,
The Conversation,
17 Dec. 2025
-
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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Through the air, their pass-catching group is one of the worst in the playoffs.—
Austin Mock,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
At Oklahoma, Livingstone will be catching passes from John Mateer, who completed 62% of his passes for 2,885 yards in 2025, accumulating 14 touchdown passes to go with 11 interceptions.—
David Eckert,
Austin American Statesman,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Pickens was even more dominant, snaring nine balls for 144 yards and a score.—
Matthew Schmidt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Nov. 2025
-
At least Cochrane was familiar with the feeling of snaring an interception.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Keep going and the path climbs to the top of the arch, a high perch with breath-snatching panoramas.—
Roger Naylor,
AZCentral.com,
8 Nov. 2025
-
The Shea Moisture Define & Shine Edge Gel slicks my edges back without snatching them to hell.—
Kayla Greaves,
Essence,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Montespan’s rivals accused her of ensnaring the king using the dark art of potions.—
Hilton Als,
New Yorker,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Out of her depth, Diane digs deeper into the investigation, her determination to uncover the truth revealing a web of corruption and danger at the highest levels, ensnaring Diane, her family and all those around her.—
Erik Pedersen,
Deadline,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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By capturing and using the static electricity in compressed air, this system offers a sustainable way to generate electricity while also neutralizing hazardous charges that pose safety risks.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Jan. 2026
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Like Dostoyevsky, Capote doesn’t portray his killers as demonic ciphers, instead capturing their messy complexity.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
11 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Trapping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trapping. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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