entrap
verb /ɪnˈtræp/
/ɪnˈtræp/
[often passive]Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they entrap | /ɪnˈtræp/ /ɪnˈtræp/ |
| he / she / it entraps | /ɪnˈtræps/ /ɪnˈtræps/ |
| past simple entrapped | /ɪnˈtræpt/ /ɪnˈtræpt/ |
| past participle entrapped | /ɪnˈtræpt/ /ɪnˈtræpt/ |
| -ing form entrapping | /ɪnˈtræpɪŋ/ /ɪnˈtræpɪŋ/ |
- entrap somebody/something (formal) to put or catch somebody/something in a place or situation from which they cannot escape synonym trap
- She felt entrapped by her family’s expectations.
- entrap somebody (into doing something) (law) to trick somebody, and encourage them to do something, especially to commit a crime, so that they can be arrested for it
Word Originmid 16th cent.: from Old French entraper, from en- ‘in’ + trappe ‘a trap’.