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entrap

[en-trap]
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verb (used with object), en·trapped, en·trap·ping.

to catch in or as in a trap; ensnare: The hunters used nets to entrap the lion.
to bring unawares into difficulty or danger: He entrapped himself in the web of his own lies.
to lure into performing an act or making a statement that is compromising or illegal.
to draw into contradiction or damaging admission: The questioner entrapped her into an admission of guilt.
Law. to catch by entrapment.

RELATED WORDS

entangle, seduce, ensnare, enmesh, entice, implicate, decoy, lure, hook, embroil, inveigle, trick, bag, beguile, allure, trap, tempt, catch, snare, net

Origin of entrap

From the Middle French word entraper, dating back to 1525–35. See en-1, trap1
Related formsen·trap·per, nounen·trap·ping·ly, adverbun·en·trapped, adjective

Synonyms for entrap

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR entrap ON THESAURUS.COM
1. capture, snare, trap.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for entrap

British Dictionary definitions for entrap

entrap

verb -traps, -trapping or -trapped (tr)

to catch or snare in or as if in a trap
to lure or trick into danger, difficulty, or embarrassment
Derived Formsentrapper, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for entrap
v.

1530s, intrappe, from Old French entraper "trap, catch in a trap;" see en- (1) + trap (v.). Related: Entrapped; entrapping.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper