Entangle or catch in (or as if in) a mesh.

synonyms: ensnarl, mesh.

Roget 545: deceive, take in; defraud, cheat, jockey, do, cozen, diddle, nab, chouse, play one false, bilk, cully^†, jilt, bite, pluck, swindle, victimize; abuse; mystify; blind one's eyes; blindfold, hoodwink; throw dust into the eyes; dupe, gull, hoax, fool, befool^†, bamboozle, flimflam, hornswoggle; trick.    impose upon, practice upon, play upon, put upon, palm off on, palm upon, foist upon; snatch a verdict; bluff off, bluff; bunko, four flush [Slang], gum [U.S.], spoof [Slang], stuff (a ballot box) [U.S.].    circumvent, overreach; outreach, out wit, out maneuver; steal a march upon, give the go-by, to leave in the lurch decoy, waylay, lure, beguile, delude, inveigle; entrap, intrap^†, ensnare; nick, springe^†; set a trap, lay a trap, lay a snare for; bait the hook, forelay^†, spread the toils, lime; trapan^†, trepan; kidnap; let in, hook in; nousle^†, nousel^†; blind a trail; enmesh, immesh^†; shanghai; catch, catch in a trap; sniggle, entangle, illaqueate^†, hocus, escamoter^†, practice on one's credulity; hum, humbug; gammon, stuff up [Slang], sell; play a trick upon one, play a practical joke upon one, put something over on one, put one over on; balk, trip up, throw a tub to a whale; fool to the top of one's bent, send on a fool's errand; make game, make a fool of, make an April fool of^†, make an ass of; trifle with, cajole, flatter; come over etc. (influence) 615; gild the pill, make things pleasant, divert, put a good face upon; dissemble etc. 544.    cog, cog the dice, load the dice, stack the deck; live by one's wits, play at hide and seek; obtain money under false pretenses etc. (steal) 791; conjure, juggle, practice chicanery; deacon [U.S.].    play off, palm off, foist off, fob-off.    lie etc. 544; misinform etc. 538; mislead etc. (error) 495; betray etc. 940; be deceived etc. 547.    ... show more

Roget 704: be difficult etc. adj.; run one hard, go against the grain, try one's patience, put one out; put to one's shifts, put to one's wit's end; go hard with one, try one; pose, perplex etc. (uncertain) 475; bother, nonplus, gravel, bring to a deadlock; be impossible etc. 471; be in the way of etc. (hinder) 706.    meet with difficulties; labor under difficulties; get into difficulties; plunge into difficulties; struggle with difficulties; contend with difficulties; grapple with difficulties; labor under a disadvantage; be in difficulty etc. adj.. fish in troubled waters, buffet the waves, swim against the stream, scud under bare poles.    Have much ado with, have a hard time of it; come to the push, come to the pinch; bear the brunt.    grope in the dark, lose one's way, weave a tangled web, walk among eggs.    get into a scrape etc. n.; bring a hornet's nest about one's ears; be put to one's shifts; flounder, boggle, struggle; not know which way to turn etc. (uncertain) 475; perdre son Latin [Fr.]; stick at, stick in the mud, stick fast; come to a stand, come to a standstill, come to a deadlock; hold the wolf by the ears, hold the tiger by the tail.    render difficult etc. adj.; enmesh, encumber, embarrass, ravel, entangle; put a spoke in the wheel etc. (hinder) 706; lead a pretty dance.    ... show more

Dutch: verweven, vangen, strikken, verstrikken