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

Relevance

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 Three vehicles traveling behind the northbound buses added to the wreckage when they too became ensnared in the afternoon pile-up outside Philadelphia. —Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 5 May 2025 The comments add to a growing web from the trial that has ensnared several big names in the music industry and Hollywood, including Michael B. Jordan and Kid Cudi. —Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 20 May 2025 The book-burning incident appeared to be an unusual local manifestation of a simmering culture war over books reflecting diversity, one that has occasionally ensnared Jewish books and has lately been folded into the Trump administration’s push against diversity initiatives. —Andrew Lapin, Sun Sentinel, 20 May 2025 The film is in a defensive posture, feeling itself ensnared in the media’s bogeyman narrative and responding strenuously to every swipe. —Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 17 May 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 6 Jun. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on ensnare

Nglish: Translation of ensnare for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Using Bullet Points ( • )

'Bring' vs. 'Take'

Is it 'used to' or 'use to'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language

10 Hella Good U.S. Regionalisms

The Clinical History of 'Moron,' 'Idiot,' and 'Imbecile'

And So It Begins: 9 Words for Beginnings
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All