ensnare

[en-snair]

verb (used with object)

ensnared, ensnaring 

1. to capture in, or involve as in, a snare.

   to be ensnared by lies; to ensnare birds.

   Synonyms: enmesh, entangle, entrap
   Antonyms: release

ensnare

/ ɪnˈsnɛə /

verb

1. to catch or trap in a snare

2. to trap or gain power over someone by dishonest or underhand means

Other Word Forms

• ensnarement noun
• ensnarer noun
• ensnaringly adverb
• unensnared adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of ensnare¹

First recorded in 1585–95; en- ¹ + snare ¹

Example Sentences

There’s evidence that buckwheat and bush sunflower can take up lead, and saltbush can ensnare arsenic, Fang said, also name-checking corn, squash and cucumber for their ability to sequester contaminants such as dioxins.

From Los Angeles Times

For decades, the lure of cartel cash has ensnared prosecutors, generals, mayors, governors — and even the country’s onetime top law enforcement honcho, Genaro García Luna, against whom Veytia testified in federal court in Brooklyn.

From Los Angeles Times

“The President’s disastrous decision to bomb Iran without authorization is a grave violation of the Constitution and Congressional War Powers. He has impulsively risked launching a war that may ensnare us for generations,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote.

From Salon

The areas surrounding downtown, which Solis represents, have been been hit particularly hard, amid protests, a curfew and a raid at Ambiance Apparel that ensnared dozens of people.

From Los Angeles Times

In one scene the husband has ensnared his unsuspecting wife in a web of lies so extensive that she questions her very upbringing with her mother.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• cheat 
• embroil 
• enmesh 
• entangle 
• entrap 
• mislead 
• snare