snare

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A trap, often made of a loop of wire or cord, used to catch small animals.

   Grammar: Countable: set a snare, two snares.

   Patterns

   • a snare for something
   • caught in a snare

   The hunter set a snare near the rabbit burrow.

   A fox was caught in a wire snare.

   He found an old snare hidden in the grass.

2. 2nouncountablefigurative

   Something that tricks you into a bad situation or danger.

   Grammar: Countable; often figurative: the snare of debt.

   Patterns

   • the snare of something
   • fall into a snare

   Easy credit proved a snare for many young families.

   The offer was a snare designed to expose him.

3. 3nouncountablemusic

   A drum with wires stretched across its lower skin that rattle when the drum is struck.

   Grammar: Countable; often snare drum.

   Patterns

   • snare drum

   The drummer hit the snare on every second beat.

   A crisp snare sound drives the song.

4. 4verbtransitive

   To catch an animal or person with a snare or by cunning.

   Grammar: Takes an object: snare a rabbit.

   Patterns

   • snare something
   • snare someone into something

   He snared two rabbits before dawn.

   Police snared the thief with a decoy wallet.

   The company snared a major client.

Word forms

Common combinations

set a snare

They set a snare by the path.

wire snare

A wire snare caught the hare.

snare drum

She plays snare drum in the band.

fall into a snare

He fell into a snare of lies.

snare a bargain

We snared a bargain at the sale.

Synonyms and how they differ

trap

Broader; may be any device or trick, not necessarily a loop.

trick

Focuses on deception rather than a physical device.

catch

The verb is more neutral and does not suggest cunning.

Opposites

Word family

ensnare verb

to catch in or as if in a snare

Commonly confused: snare or snore?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “snare”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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