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

Or, in states that have established fetal personhood, officials might pass ordinances that could ensnare pregnant people in human trafficking charges. —Odette Yousef, NPR, 8 May 2025

Yelena’s final task from Allegra turns into a deadly setup that ensnares other anti-heroes with her — the very, very temporary Captain America, hot-headed agent John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) and Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko). —Randy Myers, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2025

Others have been ensnared by years-old legal problems — for driving under the influence or speeding — that have been facilitated by the Department of Homeland Security. —David Catanese, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2025

Nvidia , which also has been ensnared in the trade war tensions, also was tracking for its biggest advance since April 9. —Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1576, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ensnare

• abwehr
• affair
• affaire
• airfare
• altair
• armchair
• aware
• beware
• bugbear
• carfare
• childcare
• compare

Kids Definition

ensnare

verb

en·​snare in-ˈsna(ə)r 

-ˈsne(ə)r

: snare entry 2 sense 1, entrap