ensnarl

American  

[en-snahrl] / ɛnˈsnɑrl /

verb (used with object)

1. to entangle in or as in a snarl.

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Etymology

Origin of ensnarl

First recorded in 1585–95; en- ¹ + snarl ²

Explanation

To ensnarl is to tangle someone or something up in a complicated situation. You might accidentally ensnarl yourself in your best friend's argument with her parents. When you become caught or stuck in a difficult circumstance, you might wonder how you managed to ensnarl yourself in it. Some people ensnarl themselves in their friends' problems, while others manage to ensnarl themselves is every workplace argument that comes up. Ensnarl comes from the verb snarl, "to tangle or catch in a noose," with its original fourteenth century meaning, "snare or noose."

Example Sentences

The reports, which were obviously bogus, were the work of activists on TikTok, programmers, and Twitter and Reddit users who said they wanted to ensnarl the site’s administrators in fabricated data.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 3, 2021

Because their flight was so early in the morning, they had avoided the congestion and delays that would soon ensnarl Heathrow Airport.

From Time Magazine Archive

Thou knowest not the love-warm marl Of Earth, but dead and white The wastes wherein thy roots ensnarl Ere thou art freed in light.

From The California Birthday Book by Various