entrap

verb

en·​trap in-ˈtrap 

en-

entrapped; entrapping; entraps

transitive verb

1

: to catch in or as if in a trap

2

: to lure into a compromising statement or act

Synonyms

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

Choose the Right Synonym for entrap

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 entrap in a Sentence

We used the net to entrap a school of fish.

The air bubbles were entrapped in ice.

She felt that she was entrapped in an unhappy marriage.

Recent Examples on the Web

Moon must avoid either entrapping or enabling Kim, while persuading a skeptical Trump that only the United States can make a lasting deal with North Korea. —Scott Snyder, Foreign Affairs, 23 Feb. 2018

While awaiting sentencing, Flynn sought to withdraw his guilty plea by claiming he was entrapped by politically motivated federal investigators. —Sudiksha Kochi, USA TODAY, 2 Dec. 2024

That’s why Richard Linklater’s Hit Man, in which Powell plays a philosophy lecturer named Gary Johnson whose part-time job is to entrap criminals by posing as a variety of different assassins, was such a sensation at the 2023 Venice Film Festival. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 15 July 2024

The husband and wife were unconscious and entrapped after the impact. —Sarah Nelson, The Indianapolis Star, 14 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle French entraper, from en- + trape trap

First Known Use

1531, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

entrap

verb

en·​trap in-ˈtrap 

: to catch in or as if in a trap

entrapment

-mənt

noun

Legal Definition

entrap

transitive verb

en·​trap in-ˈtrap 

entrapped; entrapping

: to cause (a person) to commit a crime by means of undue persuasion, encouragement, or fraud in order to later prosecute

police entrap him into violating the literal terms of a criminal statute

—W. R. LaFave and A. W. Scott, Jr.