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entrap

[en-trap]
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verb (used with object), en·trapped, en·trap·ping.
  1. to catch in or as in a trap; ensnare: The hunters used nets to entrap the lion.
  2. to bring unawares into difficulty or danger: He entrapped himself in the web of his own lies.
  3. to lure into performing an act or making a statement that is compromising or illegal.
  4. to draw into contradiction or damaging admission: The questioner entrapped her into an admission of guilt.
  5. Law. to catch by entrapment.
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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

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1. capture, snare, trap.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

entangleseduceensnareenmeshenticeimplicatedecoylurehookembroilinveigletrickbagbeguilealluretraptemptcatchsnarenet

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British Dictionary definitions for entrap

entrap

verb -traps, -trapping or -trapped (tr)
  1. to catch or snare in or as if in a trap
  2. to lure or trick into danger, difficulty, or embarrassment
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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.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper