Definition of pitfallnext
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 But today, their company Lehman Brothers — which catastrophically collapsed in bankruptcy in 2008 — is remembered as a textbook case for the pitfalls of unchecked greed, corruption and moral bankruptcy. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026 Others joked about the pitfalls of staying too close to home. Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2026 The pitfalls of social media usage for children, such as exposure to harmful or radicalizing content, has become a galvanizing topic in the Legislature. Lia Russell march 25, Sacbee.com, 26 Mar. 2026 That choice could have brought its own pitfalls. Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 25 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pitfall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pitfall
Noun
  • The Interfaith Advisory Commission would help to coordinate religious services, address the needs of at-risk communities, and provide a platform for education and awareness on integrating different traditions.
    JT Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2026
  • Cover exposed skin to reduce your risk of frostbite or hypothermia.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 9 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • San Francisco police early Friday arrested a person who allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail at OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman's home and made threats outside the AI giant's San Francisco headquarters, the company said in a statement.
    Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 10 Apr. 2026
  • Officials from the agency were entirely absent from last month’s RSAC conference, despite cybersecurity threats to national security being at an all-time high, especially considering the country is at war.
    Alan Henry, PC Magazine, 10 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Both ballot measures failed, but post-election analysis showed that both counties pulled off all-mail balloting without much of a hitch or any challenge to its procedures or validity.
    ORLANDO SENTINEL AND MIAMI HERALD EDITORIAL BOARDS, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Mar. 2026
  • The second test went off without a hitch in 2019.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • There is a danger, in climate planning, of investing in protection against the previous disaster rather than against the next—the engineer’s version of fighting the last war.
    Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
  • There was not really a danger from Minnesota, honestly.
    Damian Calhoun, Daily News, 5 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • By Mark Gurman | Bloomberg Apple’s first foldable phone is on track to arrive during the company’s normal iPhone launch period later this year, people with knowledge of the matter said, rebutting concerns about major manufacturing snags.
    Bloomberg, Oc Register, 7 Apr. 2026
  • The current deal to fund the Department of Homeland Security and end the partial government shutdown is a two-step process, and once again there is a snag.
    Tia Mitchell, AJC.com, 5 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Pitfall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pitfall. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.

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