ensnare
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
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to catch or trap in a snare
-
to trap or gain power over someone by dishonest or underhand means
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
ensnaresimple
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ensnaressimple
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have ensnaredperfect
-
has ensnaredperfect
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am ensnaringprogressive
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are ensnaringprogressive
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is ensnaringprogressive
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have been ensnaringperfect progressive
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has been ensnaringperfect progressive
Past
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ensnaredsimple
-
had ensnaredperfect
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was ensnaringprogressive
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were ensnaringprogressive
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had been ensnaringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of ensnare
Explanation
To ensnare something is to trap it. Instead of using snapping mousetraps, you might try to ensnare the mice in your kitchen and set them free outside. While you can use the verb ensnare to talk about literally catching something in a trap, it's also useful for more figurative kinds of traps. Your French teacher might try to ensnare you in becoming more involved in the French club, or rush hour traffic might ensnare you as you rush to make it to work on time. The word combines the prefix en, or "put in," and snare, with its Old Norse root snara, "noose or snare."
Vocabulary lists containing ensnare
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
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The Odyssey
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Surviving Hitler
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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:
If you heed our words, you will avoid the pitfalls that ensnare many others.
From Barron's ● Dec. 24, 2025
The law is so broad and vague that it could ensnare anyone who maintains databases such as Mr. Webb’s.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2025
"They're built to ensnare sharks or fish and they're deadly effective, but sadly completely indiscriminate," says Dean Cropp who, as a cinematographer and ocean explorer, has been documenting these nets for years.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2025
Her view, common in these circles, is that narcissists lay on superficial charm to ensnare others and then break them.
From Slate ● Jul. 23, 2025
They swung them like lassos and began to ensnare Typhon, throwing lines around the creature’s legs and arms, using the tide to keep circling, slowly tangling him.
From "The Last Olympian" by Rick Riordan
And it ensnares Artie in a web of secrecy, underlining how “blind we humans are … moving through life as though through shadows.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 5, 2026
When Tár ensnares a new protégé, it is as if she is exploiting a younger version of herself.
From New York Times ● Dec. 31, 2022
It includes cutting red tape that ensnares energy projects, lifting restrictions for on- and offshore-lease sales, and offering support for the industry to promote new investments and production.
From Washington Times ● Jun. 15, 2022
Sometimes a string of words just ensnares me, and I can’t focus on anything until it’s been recorded or written down.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 18, 2022
A wise bait, which always ensnares the eager-nibbling lawyer.
From The Inner Sisterhood A Social Study in High Colors by Sherley, George Douglass
Those charges followed a sprawling indictment of 34 defendants that also ensnared Hall of Fame player and Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and former Lakers assistant coach Damon Jones.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026
The globe-spanning scandal also ensnared Pras Michel, a rapper in rap trio the Fugees, who was found guilty of helping Low funnel money from 1MDB into US politics.
From Barron's ● May 13, 2026
He was one of about 200 people ensnared in Operation Catch of the Day, the overwhelming majority of whom had no criminal record.
From Slate ● Apr. 15, 2026
The fake-police scam has ensnared tens of thousands of people in India, authorities say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 30, 2026
The ensnared fairies began to lose their luster and wither.
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
The purges soon widened, ensnaring generals who had worked in arms procurement—including China’s defense minister at the time, Li Shangfu.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 28, 2026
It caused waves in the global car industry, ensnaring several other top carmakers and leading to legal action in several countries.
From Barron's ● Oct. 10, 2025
Victims say soaring scams, weak bank safeguards, and poor recovery expose regulatory gaps in a country where digital banking has outpaced cybercrime checks, ensnaring people across classes.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2025
Housing courts are again filling up and ensnaring the likes of 79-year-old Maria Jackson.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 16, 2023
Thrashing and growling at the net, trying to rip free, Summer was only ensnaring himself worse.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
