snare
1 Americannoun
verb (used with object)
-
snares,
present (3rd person singular)
-
snared,
past participle, past
-
snaring
present participle
-
to catch with a snare; entangle.
-
to catch or involve by trickery or wile.
to snare her into going.
noun
noun
-
a device for trapping birds or small animals, esp a flexible loop that is drawn tight around the prey
-
a surgical instrument for removing certain tumours, consisting of a wire loop that may be drawn tight around their base to sever or uproot them
-
anything that traps or entangles someone or something unawares
verb
-
to catch (birds or small animals) with a snare
-
to catch or trap in or as if in a snare; capture by trickery
noun
Synonym Usage
See trap 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
snaresimple
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snaressimple
-
have snaredperfect
-
has snaredperfect
-
am snaringprogressive
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are snaringprogressive
-
is snaringprogressive
-
have been snaringperfect progressive
-
has been snaringperfect progressive
Past
-
snaredsimple
-
had snaredperfect
-
was snaringprogressive
-
were snaringprogressive
-
had been snaringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of snare1
First recorded before 1100; Middle English (noun and verb); cognate with Old Norse snara, Middle Low German snare, Old High German snar(a)ha
Origin of snare2
1680–90; < Middle Low German snare or Middle Dutch snaer string; replacing Old English snēr string of a musical instrument
Explanation
A snare is a trap, usually for small animals, and using a noose. Snare can also mean to trap in general or any type of trap, like the snare of a TV cliffhanger that traps you into watching again. If writers are to be believed, we are surrounded by snares. Francis Beaumont implores us to know that “the world’s a snare.” And Hilda Doolittle asserts that “a snare is Love.” Still Soren Kierkegaard lets us know that “the truth is a snare: you cannot have it, without being caught.” Whoever is right, it seems that you can’t escape. A snare is also a type of small drum that rattles, as well as a wire loop used by surgeons.
Vocabulary lists containing snare
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
He is fixed on the live stream as a Ukrainian snare swoops in, hovers for a few seconds and drops a net on to the drone, dragging it from the sky.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
But it bounced right to pitcher Brooks Raley, who flipped the ball to the plate to eventually snare Tucker in a rundown between third and home.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
"The ballista spider's snare is bioengineered to store elastic energy in the silk and rapidly release it, giving it incredible instantaneous power density -- greater than any other specialized silk-based biological catapults," said Professor Narendra.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 26, 2026
Experts say poaching in the region has waned, though a ranger found part of an old snare during AFP's visit.
From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026
They started setting up and I saw that they had six violins, two clarinets, a marching snare, Marjorie on a portable keyboard, and two flutes.
From "Slam!" by Walter Dean Myers
“With global commodity trade already facing notable logistical snares due to the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a resumption in Houthi attacks in the Red Sea would add yet another layer of complexity.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026
“Additionally, because concertina coils are rigid and stay under tension, they don’t ‘sag’ or create the loose, invisible snares that single-strand wires often do over time, which helps reduce the risk of accidental wildlife entanglement.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 1, 2026
In her own roles, Qualley snares the viewer with a physical conviction so bold and confident that it’s difficult to look at any other actor when she’s in the frame.
From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2025
There are stories in that book of leaf-dabbing on injuries and chimps helping other chimps to remove snares from their limbs.
From BBC ● May 14, 2025
He dined on roots, berries, and seaweed, hunted game with spears and snares, dressed in rags, endured the bitter winters.
From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
Moldovan tourist Raisa Neagu spent hours on Wednesday waiting to fuel up her scooter, one of many people snared in a petrol shortage on resort island Bali that authorities blamed on supply disruptions.
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026
The social media culling also snared vulnerable employees and promoters who host nights in these clubs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
Kelce is not the first sports star to be snared in an investment scheme.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026
Even those with lives, careers and families are fundamentally lost, snared between their pursuit of personal justice and instinctual self-preservation.
From Salon ● May 19, 2026
Once we snared Anansi and convinced him to close up the tear in the sky, the gods and heroes could work together to defeat the iron monsters once and for all.
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
For nearly 40 years, Culver City’s Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch has been a go-to destination for snaring those essential Halloween decorations all while exploring an artisanally crafted pumpkin village.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
The Romanian filmmaker’s stoic drama is designed to provoke viewers in opposite directions, snaring them in waiting traps and causing them to concede in agony, “You have a point!”
From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026
Websites purporting to offer demo versions of the forthcoming “Grand Theft Auto” version VI are snaring gamers in malware, according to cybersecurity company Malwarebytes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
FBAR, far from snaring high rollers, sets the amount at $10,000.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 17, 2026
Perhaps to shift my mind from my worries, he showed me how he did his snaring, using a few long strands of horsetail hair that he kept in his bag.
From "Crispin: The Cross of Lead" by Avi
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
