dragnet

[ drag-net ]

noun

1. a net to be drawn along the bottom of a river, pond, etc., or along the ground, to catch fish, small game, etc.
2. a system or network for finding or catching someone, as a criminal wanted by the police.

dragnet

/ ˈdræɡˌnɛt /

noun

1. a heavy or weighted net used to scour the bottom of a pond, river, etc, as when searching for something
2. any system of coordinated efforts by police forces to track down wanted persons

Word History and Origins

Origin of dragnet¹

Middle English word dating back to 1535–45; drag, net ¹, dray

Example Sentences

Bukele, who has championed law enforcement’s dragnets and the construction of more prisons, has taken full credit for the reduced homicide rate, though it had begun to drop even before he took office in 2019.

From Los Angeles Times

Ukraine has taken steps to root out corruption, and a dragnet over the past two years has seen Ukraine’s defense minister, top prosecutor, intelligence chief and other senior officials lose their jobs.

From Seattle Times

A statewide dragnet for organizers from the Industrial Workers of the World, or Wobblies, ensued, followed by hundreds of arrests.

From Los Angeles Times

The dragnet has also ensnared hundreds of P.T.I. supporters who have been detained.

From New York Times

Louis Lépine’s international dragnet—the trains stopped in Belgium, the Kaiser Wilhelm II searched in New York—had been for nothing.

From Literature