dragnet
noun
drag·net
ˈdrag-ˌnet 
1
a
: a net drawn along the bottom of a body of water
b
: a net used on the ground (as to capture small game)
2
: a network of measures for apprehension (as of criminals)
Examples of dragnet in a Sentence
Nine suspects were caught in the police dragnet.
Recent Examples on the Web
Reports of raids on homes and workplaces have come from major cities and rural towns alike, revealing a dragnet that has touched large swaths of Iranian society.
—
CBS News, 14 Feb. 2026
Ironically, Guojun had been caught in his own surveillance dragnet.
—Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Maybe Albro would raise concerns that the police weren’t doing enough to protect young women’s virtues, or Matthews would criticize the lack of a similar dragnet to find the killer of Mary Tate.
—Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026
Civil liberties groups are equally alarmed by the biometric dragnet.
—Newsweek Editors, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dragnet
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CBS News, 14 Feb. 2026
Ironically, Guojun had been caught in his own surveillance dragnet.
—Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Maybe Albro would raise concerns that the police weren’t doing enough to protect young women’s virtues, or Matthews would criticize the lack of a similar dragnet to find the killer of Mary Tate.
—Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026
Civil liberties groups are equally alarmed by the biometric dragnet.
—Newsweek Editors, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dragnet
Cite this Entry
“Dragnet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dragnet. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dragnet
noun
drag·net
ˈdrag-ˌnet
1
: a net dragged along the bottom of a body of water
2
: a series of planned actions for catching a criminal
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