CAPTURE Synonyms: 130 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'capture' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of capture are bag , catch , ensnare , entrap , snare , and trap . While all these words mean "to come to possess or control by or as if by seizing," capture suggests taking by overcoming resistance or difficulty. // capture an enemy stronghold

Q: In what contexts can 'bag' take the place of 'capture'?

In some situations, the words bag and capture are roughly equivalent. However, bag implies shooting down a fleeing or distant prey. // bagged a brace of pheasants

Q: When is 'catch' a more appropriate choice than 'capture'?

The words catch and capture are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, catch implies the seizing of something in motion or in flight or in hiding. // caught the dog as it ran by

Q: How do 'entrap' and 'ensnare' relate to one another, in the sense of 'capture'?

Both entrap and ensnare more often are figurative. // entrapped the witness with a trick question // a sting operation that ensnared burglars

Q: How is 'trap' related to other words for 'capture'?

Trap , snare , entrap , and ensnare imply seizing by some device that holds the one caught at the mercy of the captor. Trap and snare apply more commonly to physical seizing. // trap animals // snared butterflies with a net

capture 1 of 2

verb

Definition of capture

as in to win

to receive as return for effort the movie's producers captured several awards for their work

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to grab

to take physical control or possession of (something) suddenly or forcibly captured the cat just as it was about to escape out the front door

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

capture

2 of 2

noun

ˈkap-chər

as in prisoner

one that has been taken and held in confinement a Spanish treasure ship was the most valuable capture ever taken by that privateer

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb capture contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of capture are bag, catch, ensnare, entrap, snare, and trap. While all these words mean "to come to possess or control by or as if by seizing," capture suggests taking by overcoming resistance or difficulty.

capture an enemy stronghold

In what contexts can bag take the place of capture?

In some situations, the words bag and capture are roughly equivalent. However, bag implies shooting down a fleeing or distant prey.

bagged a brace of pheasants

When is catch a more appropriate choice than capture?

The words catch and capture are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, catch implies the seizing of something in motion or in flight or in hiding.

caught the dog as it ran by

How do entrap and ensnare relate to one another, in the sense of capture?

Both entrap and ensnare more often are figurative.

entrapped the witness with a trick question

a sting operation that ensnared burglars

How is trap related to other words for capture?

Trap, snare, entrap, and ensnare imply seizing by some device that holds the one caught at the mercy of the captor. Trap and snare apply more commonly to physical seizing.

trap animals

snared butterflies with a net

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 capture

Verb

This moment captures a tension that Said faced in battling assumptions that deep political engagement somehow foreclosed the possibility of other interests. — Lovia Gyarkye, HollywoodReporter, 4 Oct. 2026 Across different types of treatments and cancer, deep learning models captured high and low order relationships. — Esha Desai, Hartford Courant, 4 Oct. 2026

Noun

The hours of footage capture officers questioning Mangione at the fast-food restaurant on the morning of December 9, 2024, before he is handcuffed, searched and transported to the police station. — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026 On Wednesday, an MS NOW report from May resurfaced in which FBI officials said the agency has been placing fugitives on the Most Wanted list whose capture was impending. — Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for capture

Recent Examples of Synonyms for capture

Verb

Elephants in the Fog competed in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival this year, winning the Jury Prize.

— Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026
Award-winning chef Kai Mueller has created a large and unusual menu that leans into the location, with a much healthier twist (all dishes that are safe to have on the detox programme are clearly marked).

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of win

Noun

Hospital staff were working to save Pike's life and as of late Thursday were trying to clear the two doses of the drug that the state uses to execute prisoners, her lawyers wrote in a Friday filing in Davidson County Chancery Court.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
Silver found that prisoners remained exposed to grave threats of harm and suffering because of systematic deficiencies in their healthcare.

— Jacques Billeaud, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of prisoner

Verb

Formed in 2012, Polaris broke through with 2017’s The Mortal Coil and 2020’s The Death of Me, both of which debuted in the Australian Top 10 and earned ARIA nominations for best hard rock/heavy metal album.

— Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 4 Oct. 2026
Referees showed head coach Nate Miller a pair of yellow cards a minute apart, earning him an ejection 21 minutes into the game.

— Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of earn

Verb

Set the scene Step past the elegant doormen, caps raised, into a lobby where gold and silver leaves, suspended from the ceiling, catch the light that pours into the building through its vast crystal canopy roof.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Most of his production came from receiver Malik Washington, who caught five balls for 67 yards.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of catch

Verb

The aim is to help a variety of institutions gain insights into the origins of their collections, providing a basis for further actions.

— Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Related Explore See latest videos, charts and news The tracking week included an extended holiday and saw few new releases, and perhaps with demand for reading also running high, long-selling novels gained points across the board.

— Billboard Japan, Billboard, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of gain

Verb

Oviedo also alleged that bundles of cash seized from an ambulance leaving Mariaca’s home in the city of Santa Cruz early Thursday were proceeds of extortion targeting people who sought help from prosecutors.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Azerbaijan has denied these allegations, but the country is a major oil supplier to Israel, which might be enough to push Tehran to try to seize Nakhichevan, an Azerbaijani exclave on the Iranian border.

— Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of seize

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captors

capture

captured

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“Capture.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/capture. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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