definitions
  • synonyms

entrap

[ en-trap ]
/ ɛnˈtræp /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR entrap ON THESAURUS.COM

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

Nearby words

entrance, entrance pupil, entranceway, entrancing, entrant, entrap, entrapment, entrapment neuropathy, entre nous, entre-, entre-deux-mers

Origin of entrap

From the Middle French word entraper, dating back to 1525–35. See en-1, trap1
SYNONYMS FOR entrap
1 capture, snare, trap.
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR entrap ON THESAURUS.COM
Related formsen·trap·per, nounen·trap·ping·ly, adverbun·en·trapped, adjective
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

/ (ɪnˈtræp) /

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

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