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

State of play: In the final days before Nov. 5, mail-in voting continues to be ensnared in legal battles across the country. —Avery Lotz, Axios, 28 Oct. 2024

And, more than ever, there are too many District Attorneys who can’t wait to ensnare artists in their next gang indictment. —Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 2024

The director's longtime collaborator Song Kang-ho stars as the proprietor of a small snack shop who — along with his eccentric family — becomes ensnared in an international cover-up when his daughter (Go Ah-sung) is snatched by a monstrous fish creature on the banks of the Han River in Seoul. —Katie Rife, EW.com, 18 Oct. 2024

Of particular concern has been how the case ensnared banks including Citigroup Inc., Standard Chartered Plc and DBS Group Holdings Ltd., and how the launderers managed to spend billions on assets including luxury property, handbags and gold bars. —Eleanor Pringle, Fortune Asia, 4 Oct. 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