trapped

American  

[trapt] / træpt /

adjective

1. caught in or as if in a trap or by a ruse, trick, or stratagem.

   Relocate any trapped rabbit at least five miles from the capture site.

   Early in the visit I became the trapped witness to a nasty argument between my host and his wife, which they expected me to arbitrate.

2. (of air, water, etc.) held or contained in an enclosed space or in another substance.

   Make sure the clay is pressed flat, with no trapped air bubbles.

3. accidentally stuck or jammed in a narrow place from which release is difficult.

   This excellent telescopic ladder has finger guards—no more trapped fingers when letting it down!

4. set with traps.

   We followed the track carefully through heavily trapped bush to the meeting place.

5. (of a drain, pipe, or the like) furnished with a device for stopping undesirable substances from flowing through.

   The pipes discharge wastewater into a sewer, usually through a trapped drain.

6. Baseball. (of a ball) caught as it hits the ground.

   Challenges to the umpire included a trapped ball in the outfield that nobody else thought was actually caught.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of trap

Etymology

Origin of trapped

First recorded in 1425–75; trap ¹ ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; trap ¹ ( def. ) + -ed ¹ ( def. ) for the verb sense

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

trapped

Prosecutors said the defendant was aware the trapped cyclist was inches below his feet shortly after the collision in Paddock Lane, Warburton.

From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026

Hallgreen said “it’s very infrequent” that the department gets a call about someone trapped in a pipe.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 1, 2026

Locals trapped there have resorted to hunting and eating pigeons in recent months, former residents in touch with those in the city told AFP.

From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026

The war with Iran laid bare the vulnerability of the energy supply chain, when about 20% of the world’s supply of oil and gas was effectively trapped behind the Strait of Hormuz.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

Uprooted trees, a telephone pole, and the shingled roof of a small shed floated in the water behind the downed section of the bridge, trapped against the steel girder that now angled into the river.

From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret

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Related Words

• captured
• cornered

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