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
Letting Germs Spread in the Kitchen One common food safety pitfall is increasing the risk of cross-contamination in the kitchen, Ahmed Abdelhamid, PhD, an assistant professor in food microbiology at Michigan State University, told Health.
—
Brian Mastroianni, Health, 2 Oct. 2025
This unit is engineered to avoid those pitfalls.
—Noel Cymone Walker, StyleCaster, 29 Sep. 2025
Not only are both movies about the pleasures and pitfalls of collaborative art-making; both also emerged from the labyrinth of Linklater’s own long-term creative relationships.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2025
Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa’s debut at the United Nations this week was met with fascination, excitement and optimism, even as Syria’s road to fully joining the international community is fraught with pitfalls.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pitfall
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Brian Mastroianni, Health, 2 Oct. 2025
This unit is engineered to avoid those pitfalls.
—Noel Cymone Walker, StyleCaster, 29 Sep. 2025
Not only are both movies about the pleasures and pitfalls of collaborative art-making; both also emerged from the labyrinth of Linklater’s own long-term creative relationships.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2025
Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa’s debut at the United Nations this week was met with fascination, excitement and optimism, even as Syria’s road to fully joining the international community is fraught with pitfalls.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 25 Sep. 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 9 Oct. 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
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