: quick, incisive
a steel-trap mind

Examples of steel-trap in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Maro, Marina's grandmother, had a steel-trap mind for the compendium of numbers that have defined shipping since the 17th century. Virginia Heffernan, WIRED, 14 Feb. 2024 As a city official in Durham, N.C., and then as assistant city manager in Fayetteville, Reinstein prided himself on being hyper-organized and having a steel-trap memory. Laurie McGinley, Anchorage Daily News, 4 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'steel-trap.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1945, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of steel-trap was in 1945

Dictionary Entries Near steel-trap

Cite this Entry

“Steel-trap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/steel-trap. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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