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

The sanctions are the outgoing Biden administration’s final attempt to stop the Salt Typhoon hacks, which have ensnared at least nine US telecommunication companies, including AT&T and Verizon. —Michael Kan, PCMAG, 17 Jan. 2025

The Twelfth Amendment would resolve the presidential election quagmire that ensnared the candidates in 1800. —Karin Wulf / Made By History, TIME, 17 Jan. 2025

Hundreds of thousands of people, often lured by offers of high-paying jobs, have been ensnared by such cybercrime operations in Myanmar and Cambodia and forced to work in sophisticated scams to defraud people online. —Tiffany May, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2025

When any object gets close to a supermassive black hole, they're typically ensnared in a powerful gravitational pull and unable to escape. —Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 14 Jan. 2025

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