SKIP TO CONTENT

entrap

entrapped; entrapping; entraps

If you entrap someone, you entangle or snare them, as if you'd caught them in a trap. Your family might entrap you in their elaborate summer plans, despite your wish to take a vacation all by yourself.

The expectations of other people — or your own high standards — can entrap you into the feeling you should always do well in school or pursue material success. Another way one person might entrap another is more deliberate, by setting a trap or playing a trick. A police officer might entrap a suspect, persuading him to commit a crime in order to make an arrest. The Old French root is entraper, "catch in a trap."

Definitions of entrap
  1. verb
    catch in or as if in a trap
    synonyms: ensnare, snare, trammel, trap
    see moresee less
    types:
    gin
    trap with a snare
    type of:
    capture, catch
    capture as if by hunting, snaring, or trapping
  2. verb
    take or catch as if in a snare or trap
    synonyms: ensnare, frame, set up
    see moresee less
    type of:
    cozen, deceive, delude, lead on
    be false to; be dishonest with
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘entrap'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Word Family
EDITOR'S CHOICE

Look up entrap for the last time

Close your vocabulary gaps with personalized learning that focuses on teaching the words you need to know.

VocabTrainer - Vocabulary.com's Vocabulary Trainer