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trapdoor

noun

trap·​door ˈtrap-ˈdȯr How to pronounce trapdoor (audio)
: a lifting or sliding door covering an opening (as in a roof, ceiling, or floor)

Examples of trapdoor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Similar to the Broadway musical, the new movie ends with Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and her strawman swain Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) walking into the sunset away from Oz, after the revelation that Elphaba staged her own melting death by hiding under a trapdoor. Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 22 Nov. 2025 Although the Irish look like a good bet to make the 12-team field with comfortable wins over Syracuse and Stanford to close the regular season, the trapdoors that could keep them out are becoming clearer. Pete Sampson, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2025 Reddit user TempusDetective explained that in the middle of the living room floor was a trapdoor. Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Nov. 2025 His stomach dropped as the trapdoor opened beneath him, plunging him into a void of air. George Packer, The Atlantic, 6 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for trapdoor

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of trapdoor was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Trapdoor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trapdoor. Accessed 1 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

trapdoor

noun
trap·​door ˈtrap-ˈdō(ə)r How to pronounce trapdoor (audio)
-ˈdȯ(ə)r
: a lifting or sliding door covering or hiding an opening in a roof, ceiling, or floor

More from Merriam-Webster on trapdoor

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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