Meaning

(fishing) A net dragged across the bottom of a body of water..

Definitions by Sense

1. (fishing) A net dragged across the bottom of a body of water.
2. (law enforcement, figuratively) A heightened effort by law enforcement personnel undertaken in order to capture suspects.
3. (fishing, transitive) To drag a net across the bottom of a body of water.
4. (law enforcement, figuratively, transitive) To undertake a heightened effort to catch a suspect.

Example Sentences

Anchovy dragnets are an important part Korea's fishing sector. Over 99% of catches found in anchovy dragnets are anchovy. Although the annual total catches of anchovy have fluctuated, dragnets catch 55 to 70% of the total annual catch of anchovy. The remaining portion is caught with drift gill nets (10%) and other fishing methods.

The use of algorithms in policing is one example of their increasing influence on our lives.[…]who, if anyone, is policing their use[?] Such concerns were sharpened further by the continuing revelations about how the US National Security Agency (NSA) has been using algorithms to help it interpret the colossal amounts of data it has collected from its covert dragnet of international telecommunications.

When ponds are cleaned out periodically, fish are trapped or dragnetted and finally the pond is drained to remove all fish.

In fact, Carty was not the man, but, after a police swoop had dragnetted twenty men suspected of having taken part in the business, he was lodged in Sligo jail and accused of this violence to the lady.

A May Day anti-capitalist protest last year in Seattle saw clashes between police and protesters, and the FBI had been dragnetting potential anarchists.

Word Forms

• dragnets
• drag-net
• drag net
• dragnetting
• dragnetted

Synonyms for dragnet

Related Words

When Should You Use Dragnet?

Use dragnet when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

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