1
: trap entry 1, snare
specifically
: a pit flimsily covered or camouflaged and used to capture and hold animals or people
2
: a hidden or not easily recognized danger or difficulty
Examples of pitfall in a Sentence
buying a house can be full of pitfalls for the unwary
one of the pitfalls of ignorance is that people will also assume you're stupid
Recent Examples on the Web
A lot of these are dystopians that grapple with potential pitfalls of AI and tech.
—
Dana Taylor, USA Today, 11 Dec. 2025
The Potential Downsides of Adding an Appliance Garage As with any renovation choice, appliance garages aren’t without their potential pitfalls.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Dec. 2025
From the pitfalls of social media to the risks of excessive screen time.
—Sharyn Alfonsi, CBS News, 8 Dec. 2025
The result is that consolidating industries quite often land on three main players as a source of stability – one or two risks falling into the pitfalls of monopolies and duopolies, while many more than three to five can struggle to be profitable in mature industries.
—David R. King, Fortune, 8 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pitfall
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.
Dana Taylor, USA Today, 11 Dec. 2025
The Potential Downsides of Adding an Appliance Garage As with any renovation choice, appliance garages aren’t without their potential pitfalls.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Dec. 2025
From the pitfalls of social media to the risks of excessive screen time.
—Sharyn Alfonsi, CBS News, 8 Dec. 2025
The result is that consolidating industries quite often land on three main players as a source of stability – one or two risks falling into the pitfalls of monopolies and duopolies, while many more than three to five can struggle to be profitable in mature industries.
—David R. King, Fortune, 8 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pitfall
Cite this Entry
“Pitfall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pitfall. Accessed 17 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pitfall
noun
pit·fall
ˈpit-ˌfȯl 
1
: trap entry 1 sense 1, snare
especially
: a covered or camouflaged pit used to capture animals or people
2
: a danger or difficulty that is hidden or is not easily recognized
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share