entrap
Americanverb (used with object)
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to catch in or as in a trap; ensnare.
The hunters used nets to entrap the lion.
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to bring unawares into difficulty or danger.
He entrapped himself in the web of his own lies.
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to lure into performing an act or making a statement that is compromising or illegal.
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to draw into contradiction or damaging admission.
The questioner entrapped her into an admission of guilt.
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Law. to catch by entrapment.
verb
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to catch or snare in or as if in a trap
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to lure or trick into danger, difficulty, or embarrassment
Other Word Forms
- entrapper noun
- entrappingly adverb
- unentrapped adjective
Etymology
Origin of entrap
From the Middle French word entraper, dating back to 1525–35. See en- 1, trap 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Chip makers use it as a carrier gas to entrap and transport certain chemicals, transfer energy to chemical reactants and cool silicon wafers during production.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 13, 2026
Occultists have learned that by deploying sound vibrations they can summon angels from the cosmic ether and entrap them on earth.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026
A man takes his daughter to a pop concert, only to discover when he arrives that the whole thing is a sting operation set up by the FBI to try and entrap a dangerous criminal.
From BBC • Aug. 7, 2024
Here’s the key: Poppy, Charles-Haden, Mabel and Oliver gather in a diner as they try to figure out a way to entrap the person they believe is the murderer: Cinda Canning.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 14, 2023
“I don’t know if you are legit, crazy or trying to entrap me,” she wrote.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
