ensnare

verb

in-ˈsner How to pronounce ensnare (audio)
Definition of ensnarenext
as in to trap
to catch or hold as if in a net parked just out of view, the state trooper was lying in wait to ensnare unwary speeders

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb ensnare contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of ensnare are bag, capture, catch, entrap, snare, and trap. While all these words mean "to come to possess or control by or as if by seizing," trap, snare, entrap, ensnare imply seizing by some device that holds the one caught at the mercy of the captor. trap and snare apply more commonly to physical seizing.

trap animals
snared butterflies with a net

When can bag be used instead of ensnare?

While in some cases nearly identical to ensnare, bag implies shooting down a fleeing or distant prey.

bagged a brace of pheasants

When is it sensible to use capture instead of ensnare?

In some situations, the words capture and ensnare are roughly equivalent. However, capture suggests taking by overcoming resistance or difficulty.

capture an enemy stronghold

When could catch be used to replace ensnare?

Although the words catch and ensnare have much in common, catch implies the seizing of something in motion or in flight or in hiding.

caught the dog as it ran by

How are the words entrap and ensnare related?

Both entrap and ensnare more often are figurative.

entrapped the witness with a trick question
a sting operation that ensnared burglars

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 ensnare The legislation changes how the law describes the federal government and the legislature’s view of Second Amendment rights, in an effort to sidestep the legal problems that ensnared the 2021 law. —Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 2 Apr. 2025 But the Liberals under Mr. Trudeau became tone-deaf after the pandemic and amid inflation and the housing crisis that have ensnared regular Canadians. —Sara Miller Llana, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Apr. 2025 Or, in states that have established fetal personhood, officials might pass ordinances that could ensnare pregnant people in human trafficking charges. —Odette Yousef, NPR, 8 May 2025 Yelena’s final task from Allegra turns into a deadly setup that ensnares other anti-heroes with her — the very, very temporary Captain America, hot-headed agent John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) and Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko). —Randy Myers, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ensnare
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ensnare
  1. trap
  2. tangle
  3. entrap
Verb
  • The wounded included four children, one of whom had been trapped beneath the vehicle with three adults.
    — Kwiyeon Ha, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2025
  • The vacuum’s efficient multi-layer filtration system traps airborne particles utilizing HEPA and foam filters, both of which are washable and reusable.
    — Maggie Horton, People.com, 27 May 2025
Definition of trap
Verb
  • Meanwhile, nearly every link in the international supply chain is now tangled in tariffs, prompting swift retaliatory measures from Canada and China.
    — Elena Bou, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
  • The nylon bristles are angled to ensure that strands migrate to the side of the cleaner head rather than getting wrapped around or tangled in the brush bar.
    — Brenda Stolyar, Wired News, 22 May 2025
Definition of tangle
Verb
  • Most horror flicks entrap their characters in one location or put them in some sort of unique, tense situation (think: satanic possession, or pissing off the wrong truck driver, attracting the wrong person, etc.), but in Final Destination, Death works with the great mundane canvas of ordinary life.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 May 2025
  • Early motherhood entraps them—and their children—in a bleak socioeconomic cycle that’s almost impossible to break.
    — Elise Taylor, Vogue, 30 Apr. 2025
Definition of entrap

Browse Nearby Words

enslaving
ensnare
ensnared
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ensnare.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ensnare. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.

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Nglish: Translation of ensnare for Spanish Speakers

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