snare 1 of 2

noun

ˈsner How to pronounce snare (audio)
Definition of snarenext
1
as in trap
a device or scheme for capturing another by surprise you fell for my clever snare, you fool!

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in tangle
something that catches and holds someday you'll find that your lies are a snare from which you can't escape

Synonyms & Similar Words

snare

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to trap
to catch or hold as if in a net easily distracted by any bright object that snared his eye

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to grab
to take physical control or possession of (something) suddenly or forcibly campers trying to snare brook trout for supper

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb snare contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of snare are bag, capture, catch, ensnare, entrap, and trap. While all these words mean "to come to possess or control by or as if by seizing," trap, snare, entrap, ensnare imply seizing by some device that holds the one caught at the mercy of the captor. trap and snare apply more commonly to physical seizing.

trap animals
snared butterflies with a net

When is bag a more appropriate choice than snare?

In some situations, the words bag and snare are roughly equivalent. However, bag implies shooting down a fleeing or distant prey.

bagged a brace of pheasants

When is it sensible to use capture instead of snare?

Although the words capture and snare have much in common, capture suggests taking by overcoming resistance or difficulty.

capture an enemy stronghold

When would catch be a good substitute for snare?

The synonyms catch and snare are sometimes interchangeable, but catch implies the seizing of something in motion or in flight or in hiding.

caught the dog as it ran by

How are the words entrap and ensnare related as synonyms of snare?

Both entrap and ensnare more often are figurative.

entrapped the witness with a trick question
a sting operation that ensnared burglars

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of snare
Noun
The snare sound, for example, was the thin, ticky-ticky style originally popularized in hip-hop recordings, instead of Nir Z’s thicker snare pops. —Tom Roland, Billboard, 29 Jan. 2025 Four tenors, four snares and two bass have been ordered through Axel Johnson. —Contributed Content, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025
Verb
Martino was also snared in that indictment, charged with going into the marijuana trafficking business with Ragano and others. —John Annese, New York Daily News, 19 Mar. 2025 Dickerson had 25 points while snaring nine rebounds, including six offensive boards. —Ryan Canfield, Fox News, 21 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for snare
Recent Examples of Synonyms for snare
  1. trap
  2. tangle
  3. grab
  4. ambush
  5. noose
  6. catch
  7. web
  8. snatch
Noun
  • But the Knicks can’t fall for the trap, and Brunson, who finished with 34 points on 12-of-27 shooting from the field to go with eight assists on the night, had a frustrating start to his evening.
    — Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 20 Apr. 2025
  • Europe is wary of sleepwalking back into the trap of reliance on Russian energy resources that caused an energy crisis at the outset of the 2022 invasion and mounting speculation that Europe might reopen its taps has sparked pushback from key European voices.
    — Ariel Cohen, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025
Definition of trap
Noun
  • Soon enough, this tangle of typical teenage troubles butts up against a sinister alternate universe, the Upside Down.
    — Sarah Bahr, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
  • The rubber brushes prevent tangles making long term clean up even easier.
    — Carlos Mejia, PC Magazine, 31 Mar. 2025
Definition of tangle
Verb
  • Antetokounmpo finished the game by scoring 36 points, grabbing 13 rebounds, and blocking two shots.
    — Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Apr. 2025
  • So grab a pencil, a few colors or a coloring book and enjoy your boosted brain power.
    — Ann Kowal Smith, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
Definition of grab
Noun
  • In addition to witnessing bloodshed as a soldier and a journalist, Godwin has also lost his eldest sister, Jain, who was killed along with her fiancé and their best man in an army ambush in 1978, just weeks before her wedding.
    — Dina Gachman, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
  • The first-half ambush was the best show of the beautiful game yet from the expansion club, rewarding folks who wanted a Major League Soccer team in San Diego.
    — Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Apr. 2025
Definition of ambush
Noun
  • But the blip offered a glimpse at what would happen if Trump did decide to put some slack into the noose, giving corporations, government leaders and investors a moment to catch their breath and make a plan.
    — Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2025
  • At the height of racial tension in the U.S. in 2020, a rope, tied like a noose, was found in NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace's garage at a NASCAR track.
    — Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 3 Apr. 2025
Definition of noose
Verb
  • On Tuesday, Bloomberg reported that the mayor of Heath, Ohio — where work was paused — caught the city officials by surprise.
    — Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Doses are given at: 2 months 4 months 6 months 15–18 months 4–6 years Can adults get whooping cough? Adults can catch whooping cough, though symptoms tend to be milder than in children.
    — Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2025
Definition of catch
Noun
  • In 2020, the Justice Department, joined by a group of states, accused Google of illegally stifling competition by paying the makers of web browsers and phones to set Google as their default search engine.
    — John Ruwitch, NPR, 20 Apr. 2025
  • Our primary overall benchmark, UL's PCMark 10, puts a system through its paces in productivity apps ranging from web browsing to word processing and spreadsheet work.
    — PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 19 Apr. 2025
Definition of web
Verb
  • His father, Wilmer Gutiérrez, is now searching for answers after his son was snatched by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
    — Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Apr. 2025
  • The two were paired together again in a major, just like last year's U.S. Open, which DeChambeau snatched from McIlroy in the late holes.
    — Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2025
Definition of snatch

Browse Nearby Words

snap (up)
snare
snared
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Snare.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/snare. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.

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