as in bound
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1
as in tangled
to catch or hold as if in a net
an ambitious young man who was now trapped in a series of shady business deals
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in grabbed
to take physical control or possession of (something) suddenly or forcibly
finally trapped the annoying fly in the palm of his hand
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Recent Examples of trapped
Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 14 May 2026
The result can be dingy clothes, trapped odors, excess suds and even buildup inside your washing machine.
—Ryan Brennan
may 14, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2026
The expedition’s two ships, the HMS Erebus and the HMS Terror, were carrying 129 crew members when the vessels became trapped in Arctic ice for nearly two years before crews deserted them in April 1848.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 12 May 2026
However, when Lucy tried to close the bathroom door on March 5, her finger became trapped and the top half of her pinkie got sliced off.
—Lexi Lane, PEOPLE, 10 May 2026
In these situations, goalkeepers can often become trapped on their line and unable to react forward into the save, something Raya completely avoided here to put Arsenal five points clear.
—Matt Pyzdrowski, New York Times, 10 May 2026
Traditional brake systems require periodic fluid replacement and bleeding procedures to remove trapped air from the lines.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 7 May 2026
Why moisture control matters most Bathrooms are humid by design, but trapped moisture is the single biggest driver of buildup, mold and air-quality concerns.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 30 Apr. 2026
The teams joined forces on the final part of the ascent, but when a savage storm struck on a section known as the Chandelle, the men became trapped on the pillar for four days and nights without food, shelter, or escape.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 30 Apr. 2026
Aldo Svaldi, Mercury News, 19 May 2026
At least one person was trapped because of the crash, according to Chester County dispatch.
—Tom Ignudo, CBS News, 19 May 2026
If water can’t circulate effectively enough to move throughout the dishwasher, food debris can get trapped and end up building up over time, clogging the drain or filter.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 19 May 2026
Although Djena wasn’t literally trapped in the Toures’ home, she was trapped by her circumstances.
—Yudhijit Bhattacharjee, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
Once trapped, the ions are reduced to a ground state through lasers, similar to what freezing them at absolute zero achieves.
—Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 18 May 2026
Debris and wastewater are collected directly in the head rather than traveling up through the machine, preventing them from becoming trapped in a filter.
—Sheena Vasani, The Verge, 18 May 2026
Radioactive stardust remnants from stellar explosions have been found trapped in ice in Antarctica.
—Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 18 May 2026
After losing Mushfiqur Rahim early to the bowling of Hasan Ali, Shanto struck seven boundaries in his knock before being trapped lbw by left-arm spinner Noman Ali (3-76).
—ABC News, 12 May 2026
Adjective
Similar to how cosmic impacts can agitate and heat lunar regolith to liberate trapped particles from the solar wind, machines can do much the same.
—Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 14 May 2026
The result can be dingy clothes, trapped odors, excess suds and even buildup inside your washing machine.
—Ryan Brennan
may 14, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2026
The expedition’s two ships, the HMS Erebus and the HMS Terror, were carrying 129 crew members when the vessels became trapped in Arctic ice for nearly two years before crews deserted them in April 1848.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 12 May 2026
However, when Lucy tried to close the bathroom door on March 5, her finger became trapped and the top half of her pinkie got sliced off.
—Lexi Lane, PEOPLE, 10 May 2026
In these situations, goalkeepers can often become trapped on their line and unable to react forward into the save, something Raya completely avoided here to put Arsenal five points clear.
—Matt Pyzdrowski, New York Times, 10 May 2026
Traditional brake systems require periodic fluid replacement and bleeding procedures to remove trapped air from the lines.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 7 May 2026
Why moisture control matters most Bathrooms are humid by design, but trapped moisture is the single biggest driver of buildup, mold and air-quality concerns.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 30 Apr. 2026
The teams joined forces on the final part of the ascent, but when a savage storm struck on a section known as the Chandelle, the men became trapped on the pillar for four days and nights without food, shelter, or escape.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 30 Apr. 2026
Verb
Once trapped, the ions are reduced to a ground state through lasers, similar to what freezing them at absolute zero achieves.
—Aldo Svaldi, Mercury News, 19 May 2026
At least one person was trapped because of the crash, according to Chester County dispatch.
—Tom Ignudo, CBS News, 19 May 2026
If water can’t circulate effectively enough to move throughout the dishwasher, food debris can get trapped and end up building up over time, clogging the drain or filter.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 19 May 2026
Although Djena wasn’t literally trapped in the Toures’ home, she was trapped by her circumstances.
—Yudhijit Bhattacharjee, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
Once trapped, the ions are reduced to a ground state through lasers, similar to what freezing them at absolute zero achieves.
—Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 18 May 2026
Debris and wastewater are collected directly in the head rather than traveling up through the machine, preventing them from becoming trapped in a filter.
—Sheena Vasani, The Verge, 18 May 2026
Radioactive stardust remnants from stellar explosions have been found trapped in ice in Antarctica.
—Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 18 May 2026
After losing Mushfiqur Rahim early to the bowling of Hasan Ali, Shanto struck seven boundaries in his knock before being trapped lbw by left-arm spinner Noman Ali (3-76).
—ABC News, 12 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trapped
Adjective
-
The bound paper booklets in which students hand-write their responses to test questions have surged in popularity during the AI explosion.—
Jamil Zaki,
CNBC,
12 May 2026
-
The Dodgers’ split-squad group that journeyed the 14 miles from Glendale (and ultimately lost to Texas, 7-6) was largely a skeleton crew of Triple-A bound prospects and wannabes.—
Tim Cowlishaw,
Dallas Morning News,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Unlike the open-country eagles many people picture soaring over cliffs or plains, harpies inhabit dense rainforests where visibility is limited, branches are tangled and maneuverability matters more than endurance.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
-
Videos posted online showed the two planes getting tangled together in midair before four parachutes opened in the sky as the planes plummeted to the ground.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Young grabbed onto Elijah’s hair to try to hang onto the moment.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
-
Becerra blunder The first ad that grabbed my attention was a quick-turn by San José Mayor and gubernatorial candidate Matt Mahan (still stuck in single-digit polling numbers), who jumped on Xavier Becerra’s first major mess-up.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
Martha Custis, at age 26, became a very wealthy widow with two young children, a 17,500-acre plantation to manage, and responsible for almost 300 enslaved people.—
Kurt Snibbe,
Oc Register,
8 May 2026
-
Djimon Hounsou played Maximus’ right-hand man and closest ally, a Black Numidian man taken from his home as an enslaved gladiator.—
Brendan Le,
PEOPLE,
5 May 2026
Verb
-
At least one person was entrapped in the wreckage, according to the Forney Police Department.—
Steven Rosenbaum,
CBS News,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Stevenson insists that the goal of the Legacy Museum is not to present Alabama as irredeemably racist or forever entrapped by its past.—
Clint Smith,
The Atlantic,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The Giants have not won at home in Week 1 since Hakeem Nicks caught three touchdown passes in a 2010 win over the Carolina Panthers.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
15 May 2026
-
Steyer backers Speaking of money, the second ad (or sort-of ad) that caught my attention is tied to Steyer, the billionaire who has spent more than $100 million of his own money in this race.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
For instance, light particles like positrons (or electrons, in this experiment) need extremely fast oscillations, gigahertz (GHz) frequencies, to stay confined.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Diners are there to enjoy a nice, relaxing meal, but some dogs, especially very large dogs or multiple dogs, can be a handful in small, confined spaces.—
Ticked Off,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
That would make sure people are correctly identified to ensure others aren’t ensnared in operations, Cardenas said.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
16 May 2026
-
Soon Collie is ensnared in a plot to kidnap a sickly rich boy that immediately goes off the rails.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Trapped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trapped. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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