ensnare

verb

en·​snare in-ˈsner 

en-

ensnared; ensnaring; ensnares

transitive verb

: to take in or as if in a snare

Synonyms

• catch up
• enmesh
• immesh
• ensnarl
• entangle
• entoil
• entrap
• mesh
• net
• snare
• tangle
• trap

Choose the Right Synonym for ensnare

catch, capture, trap, snare, entrap, ensnare, bag mean to come to possess or control by or as if by seizing.

catch implies the seizing of something in motion or in flight or in hiding.

caught the dog as it ran by

capture suggests taking by overcoming resistance or difficulty.

capture an enemy stronghold

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

entrap and ensnare more often are figurative.

entrapped the witness with a trick question

a sting operation that ensnared burglars

bag implies shooting down a fleeing or distant prey.

bagged a brace of pheasants

Examples of ensnare in a Sentence

The animals got ensnared in the net.

The police successfully ensnared the burglar.

Recent Examples on the Web

Reluctantly tasked with investigating an apparent case of demonic possession that has ensnared a young woman (Chloe Bailey) in the clutches of a relentless demon, Arlington struggles to confront the beast, even as Miller searches for appropriate reference points to anchor his character. —Justin Lowe, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 June 2024

Popular on Variety The storyline remains as simple as the movie’s: Boy meets girl; boy meets blunt (and eventually girl does too); damnation ensues for the couple as well as the denizens of the drug den that ensnares them. —Chris Willman, Variety, 16 June 2024

The State Department advises travelers to reconsider travel to mainland China because of arbitrary enforcement of local laws, including exit bans that ensnared travelers in recent years, and the risk of wrongful detentions. —Michael Salerno, The Arizona Republic, 12 June 2024

Among those ensnared in the Jungle was a specter of a man who possessed little more than his name: Thomas Rath. —Photographs Todd Heisler, New York Times, 19 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1576, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

ensnare

verb

en·​snare in-ˈsna(ə)r 

-ˈsne(ə)r

: snare entry 2 sense 1, entrap