verb
entrap
en-TRAP/ɪnˈtræp/
To catch someone or something in a trap.
The falling net entraps the unsuspecting adult beneath its loose mesh.
Etymology
The pieces give the image of putting someone into a snare. A trap could also be a deceitful device, extending entrap from physical capture to catching someone through a scheme or lure.
In context
… government is literally putting people out there uh pretending to buy or sell Bitcoin and meeting people on local Bitcoin so they can entrap them
More examples
- Discarded fishing nets can entrap sea turtles.
- The spider entrapped a moth in its web.
- The device catches mice without entrapping larger animals.
Forms
entrap · entraps · entrapped · entrapping
entrapment noun — The act of trapping someone or something.