trapped 1 of 2

Definition of trappednext

trapped

2 of 2

verb

past tense of trap

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
However, sealing your deck too frequently can actually wear the deck boards out faster by causing a buildup of sealer that leads to cracking, peeling, and trapped moisture, which causes the wood to rot. Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 24 Apr. 2026 Most of us remain trapped in our own language bubble and cultural assumptions, and the publishing industry is no exception. The Dial, 23 Apr. 2026 Police say one person became trapped inside the home and was later pronounced dead. Joseph Buczek, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2026 The spills threaten other marine life, too, such as turtles, dolphins and whales that might ingest or become trapped in the oil. Antoinette Radford, CNN Money, 21 Apr. 2026 Plastic cages may also have tubes that larger hamsters can become trapped in. Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026 Hundreds remain trapped within the Persian Gulf. Jordan Blum, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2026 The agency found that gases had gotten trapped inside portions of the heat shield while the capsule was streaking through the atmosphere, allowing pressure to accumulate. Denise Chow, NBC news, 14 Apr. 2026 After Alberto became trapped, Guadalupe rushed to her husband’s aid. Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
Verb
For too long, the conversation about digital assets has been trapped between price speculation and regulatory anxiety. Bob Diamond, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026 And that duality is what makes the concept so tempting to explore more deeply — particularly through the interiority of a complex woman who will be literally trapped on the big screen. Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 28 Apr. 2026 If trapped by moving water, seek the highest possible point and contact emergency services by calling 911. Star-Telegram Weather Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Apr. 2026 And here in Florida, that verdict arrives every day — in the rumble of moving trucks, in the new neighbors from up north, and in the quiet realization that the people paying the bills were never nearly as trapped as the politicians imagined. Larry Clifton, Sun Sentinel, 28 Apr. 2026 The victim, who has not been identified, suffered severe crushing injuries to his lower limbs after becoming trapped in a lifting system, local fire authorities told Reuters, citing eyewitness accounts. Edward Segarra, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026 When it stays bunched together, moisture gets trapped in the folds, creating the perfect environment for mildew and mold growth. Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 27 Apr. 2026 If you are trapped by moving water, move to the highest possible point and call 911 if possible. Kansas City Star Weather Bot, Kansas City Star, 27 Apr. 2026 Rescue crews deployed inflatable boats to help relocate some residents trapped in their homes in Qinzhou city in Guangxi region, official news agency Xinhua reported. ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trapped
Adjective
  • Play-in bound, seed still TBA: Los Angeles Clippers, Portland, Charlotte, Miami.
    Tim Reynolds, Chicago Tribune, 12 Apr. 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
  • Within a month, the former lawyer was tangled in a complicated web of legal controversies.
    Brianne Tracy, PEOPLE, 24 Apr. 2026
  • McDavid appeared to catch an edge early in the second period after getting tangled up with teammate Mattias Ekholm and the Ducks’ Ian Moore.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Investigators later learned Hissom and her male passenger, who was wounded, were caught in a crossfire as a group of four or five men grabbed weapons from a vehicle and began firing at each other.
    Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 30 Apr. 2026
  • Aristide then allegedly charged at his brother, grabbed him by the neck and forced him to the ground, according to the report.
    Mauricio Maldonado, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • His party included an enslaved man, modeled after York, and a trusty dog, modeled after Lewis’s Newfoundland.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Apr. 2026
  • These excursions also offer access to the upstairs of the Big House, where the former plantation’s owners once lived — after entering through the building’s rear, as an enslaved person would.
    Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 21 Apr. 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
  • Gonzales drove a first-pitch slider to left, and Church jumped and caught the ball above the top of the 6-foot wall, 373 feet from home plate.
    CBS News, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
  • That’s what kept his head on straight in the trenches, even when his socks got bogged down with mud and soldiers flanked on either side of him caught shrapnel or pneumonia.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Apr. 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
  • Both of Seatrium’s predecessor companies were ensnared in Operation Car Wash, Brazil’s sweeping anti-corruption investigation that eventually consumed much of the country’s political and business establishment.
    Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
  • This is not the first time Polymarket has been ensnared in controversy.
    Niamh Kennedy, CNN Money, 23 Apr. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Trapped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trapped. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on trapped

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster