dragnet

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In our quest to catch the neighborhood porch pirate, we’ve inadvertently built a dragnet that catches much more.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026

To many Americans, the viral image of a child swept up in an enforcement dragnet is horrifying.

From Salon • Jan. 24, 2026

When reckless policing is combined with powerful and inaccurate dragnet tools, the result will inevitably be more stories like Lopez-Gomez’s and Machado’s.

From Slate • Jun. 6, 2025

The dragnet has also ensnared hundreds of P.T.I. supporters who have been detained.

From New York Times • Feb. 4, 2024

The resulting “interviews” of passengers in these dragnet operations usually culminate in a request for “consent” to search the passenger’s luggage.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander