Ensnare

//ɛnˈsnɛə// verb

verb ·Moderate ·College level

Definitions

Verb
  1. 1
    To entrap; to catch in a snare or trap.

    "Let theſe / Inſnare the vvretched in the toils of lavv, / Fomenting diſcord, and perplexing right, / An iron race!"

  2. 2
    catch in or as if in a trap wordnet
  3. 3
    To entangle; to enmesh. figuratively

    "But electric vehicles and the batteries that made them run became ensnared in corporate scandals, fraud, and monopolistic corruption that shook the confidence of the nation and inspired automotive upstarts."

  4. 4
    take or catch as if in a snare or trap wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
trapallureambushbagbaitbait the hook

Example

More examples

"The car dealer tried to ensnare me in extra options."

Etymology

From en- + snare.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.