Standard Lemma guide

ensnarl

verb · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • ĕn-snärlʹ
  • /ɛnˈsnɑː(ɹ)l/
  • UK:
  • US:
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɑː(ɹ)l
  • CMU ARPABET: IH0 N S N AA1 R L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To entangle; to trap.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ensnare, entangle, snarl, enmesh, ensnarl, foul, implicate, imply, involve, mat, ravel, tangle

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

entangle or catch in (or as if in) a mesh

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: enmesh, mesh

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: entangle, tangle, mat, snarl

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h1én Proto-Italic *en Proto-Italic *en- Latin in- Old French en-bor. Middle English en- English en- English snarl English ensnarl From en- + snarl.