1
as in risk
a danger or difficulty that is hidden or not easily recognized buying a house can be full of pitfalls for the unwary

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2
as in threat
something that may cause injury or harm one of the pitfalls of ignorance is that people will also assume you're stupid

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of pitfall For a president intent on the further centralization of executive power, or even establishing a dictatorship, protest suppression provides multiple opportunities and pitfalls. Jeremy Pressman, The Conversation, 15 June 2025 Empowering Authentic Voices One of the most common pitfalls in advocacy programs is over-scripting employees. Bradley Keenan, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025 Tua Tagovailoa missing six games, the Miami Dolphins faced pitfalls from opposing defenses adjusting to the Dolphins offense of the previous two seasons. David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 12 June 2025 Breaking down the cleaning process into 20 minute sessions and 10 minute break is designed to combat these pitfalls. Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for pitfall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pitfall
Noun
  • If a child is experiencing an acute mental health crisis such as suicidal ideation or self-harm, Miller says most states allow the parent to act alone, especially if delaying poses a safety risk.
    Sherri Gordon, Parents, 23 June 2025
  • Because all of the major waves of selling in the wake of some incident of uncertainty were caused by momentary risk that did not ultimately threaten stocks, or the banking system — or, ultimately, the economy.
    Jim Cramer, CNBC, 23 June 2025
Noun
  • The thinking among investors is that the stocks in the ETF will get more attention due to the threat from Iran's sophisticated army of hackers.
    Jason Gewirtz, CNBC, 26 June 2025
  • But those threats were beaten back in the last few years of war, and twice last year, Israel got practice rounds bombing Iran following Iranian missile fire.
    Daniel Estrin, NPR, 25 June 2025
Noun
  • Safety-wise, last year’s Fanatics Fest went off mostly without a hitch.
    Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 19 June 2025
  • The party ended up going off without a hitch, as the pictures Morello shared with Newsweek show.
    Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 June 2025
Noun
  • The real danger here isn’t that LLaMA can write a Silverman-style joke.
    Aron Solomon June 27, Literary Hub, 27 June 2025
  • This temperature range is considered the danger zone.
    Lauren David, Southern Living, 27 June 2025
Noun
  • But despite his popularity in the heavily Democratic state, Newsom’s governorship has continued to hit snags.
    Solcyré Burga, Time, 12 June 2025
  • But both hit snags in May as fiscal reality set in.
    Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 9 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Pitfall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pitfall. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.

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