TRAPPED Synonyms: 96 Similar and Opposite Words

trapped 1 of 2

adjective

as in bound

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Dissimilar Words

trapped

2 of 2

verb

past tense of trap

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of trapped

Adjective

Rescuers drilled at the tunnels to send trapped workers food and oxygen masks. — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 31 Aug. 2026 The acid in vinegar can breakdown trapped odors when its added to the rinse cycle. — Ashlyn Needham, The Spruce, 25 Aug. 2026 The bear apparently opened the vehicle door, climbed inside and then became trapped when the door closed behind it. — Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026 Colorado Parks and Wildlife said the bear, which weighed about 300 pounds, entered an unlocked vehicle while searching for food, became trapped inside and likely was exposed to the summer heat over several days before it was discovered. — Mike Snider, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2026 Deadpoint takes place on Thailand’s Mount Kwan, where two climbers become trapped 11,000 feet above ground as their perilous hike takes a turn for the worse. — Niya Doyle, PEOPLE, 19 Aug. 2026 Check the bathroom vanity and mattress for spaces where a cat or kitten could crawl in and become trapped. — Ashley Lynch, Charlotte Observer, 14 Aug. 2026 Survival is still possible after that point, but the chances generally decline the longer victims remain trapped. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 14 Aug. 2026 In a flat pinball machine, a ball could stay trapped bouncing between three bumpers forever. — Shalma Wegsman, Quanta Magazine, 12 Aug. 2026

Verb

Go to the highest level of the building if you are trapped by flooding. — Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026 The gas dissolves directly into the stubborn crude trapped within the rock matrix. — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2026 Authorities said powerhouses of hydroelectric plants have spaces and rooms for people to stay and rescuers are trying to reach them and look for survivors, with at least 639 people still missing, including those believed to be trapped in tunnels. — Reuters, NBC news, 2 Sep. 2026 The Fire Department rescued numerous residents who had become trapped by the flames, which were seen bursting from the building, KCTV5 reported at the time. — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 2 Sep. 2026 Rescuers are still working to search and rescue any potential survivors trapped in a hydropower tunnel in the Rasuwa district. — Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 2026 Similarly, experiments that Sanchez-Lavega and his colleagues performed with computer simulations of currents in shallow water suggest the decagon formed because of a meandering wave trapped by a curving atmospheric jet. — Charles Q. Choi, Space.com, 2 Sep. 2026 Whereas other cohabitating cave fish are like neighbors, the demon and Southern cave fish are like roommates—if those roommates had been trapped together for millions of years and potentially snacked on each other’s children. — Elizabeth Anne Brown, Scientific American, 2 Sep. 2026 Meanwhile, Floyd’s clothes reveal a man still trapped by his insecurities. — Fawnia Soo Hoo, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for trapped

Adjective

The team checked this directly by computing how much of each galaxy's baryon budget actually stayed bound to the system.

— Paul Sutter, Space.com, 9 June 2026
To help calculate a lower bound, Erdős assumed that the points would be laid out in a grid.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 1 June 2026

Definition of bound

Verb

Reese was tangled up in the paint with the Fire's Carla Leite as Dream guard Rhyne Howard made a 3-pointer from the right corner during the fourth quarter.

— ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
Because trunk cargo nets have large holes, pointed items such as fishing poles, bats, or rackets can get tangled.

— BestReviews, Mercury News, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of tangled

Verb

The lawsuit by a Los Angeles studio claims Michael Shvartsman demanded early repayment, threatened its CEO and grabbed a bigger slice of profits after the film’s Mar-a-Lago premiere.

— Ben Wieder, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
The man grabbed his iguana (which survived the flight) and left.

— Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of grabbed

Verb

For the difficult and dangerous business of selling secrets—the challenge of finding a buyer, the constant fear of getting betrayed or entrapped—BlackNet would do what eBay did for the garage sale.

— Finn Brunton, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026
Robert is unwittingly entrapped, and has absconded with something mob bigwig Lombardi wants revenge for.

— Leigh Haber, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026

Definition of entrapped

Verb

Summit caught the turnover bug as the Jaguars lost to Red Oak 20-15.

— Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Sep. 2026
As a result, Japan finds itself in a precarious position, caught between a lack of locals to fill roles in the workforce and a distrust of immigrants who can provide labor.

— Christine Miyawaki, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of caught

Adjective

That gave the team an additional visual reference during one of neurosurgery’s most confined operating environments.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026
Sewers can contain numerous hazards, including noxious and potentially deadly gases, unstable surfaces, flooding risks, and confined spaces.

— Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 31 May 2026

Definition of confined

Verb

The homeowner, Brett Bymaster, lauded officers for ending the chaotic situation swiftly and without any harm to his adult children, son-in-law, and young grandchildren who were unwittingly ensnared in the encounter.

— Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 26 Aug. 2026
This is partially because, for the brief duration of her success, she has been ensnared in a debate over her authenticity.

— Abigail Sylvor Greenberg, Vanity Fair, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of ensnared

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trapezists

trapped

trapper

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“Trapped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trapped. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of trapped

adjective

verb

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