ensnare C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes US /ɪnˈsnɛr/ UK /ɪnˈsnɛə/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 verb to catch in or as if in a trap The scheme was designed to ensnare unwary investors. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 verb · to catch in or as if in a trap entraptrapsnarecatchentangleenmeshlure ↔ Opposites freereleaseliberateextricate Word family Derived forms ensnarementensnarer Related forms snaresnarl Etymology AI details From en- (causative) + snare, from Old English sneare or Old Norse snara ('noose, snare'), from Proto-Germanic *snarhō. snara Old Norse *snarhō Proto-Germanic View etymology graph -> Topics Actions & Processes External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # ensnare **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** verb **IPA (US):** /ɪnˈsnɛr/ **IPA (UK):** /ɪnˈsnɛə/ ## Meanings 1. to catch in or as if in a trap ## Examples - The scheme was designed to ensnare unwary investors. ## Synonyms - entrap - trap - snare - catch - entangle - enmesh - lure ## Antonyms - free - release - liberate - extricate ## Derived Forms - ensnarement - ensnarer ## Related Forms - snare - snarl ## Roots and Affixes - Root: snara - Root: *snarhō ## Etymology From en- (causative) + snare, from Old English sneare or Old Norse snara ('noose, snare'), from Proto-Germanic *snarhō. ## AI Etymology Ensnare comes from en- (causative) + snare, from Old English sneare or Old Norse snara ('noose, snare'), from Proto-Germanic *snarhō. The historical trail runs through Old Norse snara and Proto-Germanic *snarhō. Morphologically, the surface form is analyzable into prefixes, suffixes, compounds, or participial endings that carry part of the history. In modern use it means to catch in or as if in a trap. Derived formations include ensnarement, ensnarer; related forms include snare, snarl. ## Topics - Actions & Processes markdown