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

“I am not white, as you can see,” she told the judge, explaining that her own family was at risk of being swept up in the same dragnet she was being forced to defend.

From Salon • Feb. 6, 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

A statewide dragnet for organizers from the Industrial Workers of the World, or Wobblies, ensued, followed by hundreds of arrests.

From Los Angeles Times • May 16, 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