1
as in risks
a danger or difficulty that is hidden or not easily recognized
buying a house can be full of pitfalls for the unwary
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in threats
something that may cause injury or harm
one of the pitfalls of ignorance is that people will also assume you're stupid
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pitfalls
Hims hair loss pros and cons There are many potential perks and pitfalls to using Hims for hair loss.
—
Rebecca Strong, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
But Lynch's remarks reinforce the pitfalls of trying to sidestep drawdowns by making dramatic moves.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 2 Apr. 2026
That’s because this approach avoids the pitfalls of previous gun control attempts.
—Marcia Zug, The Conversation, 2 Apr. 2026
The Nerones hope to avoid the many pitfalls by doing extensive research before jumping in.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
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
Those digital spaces are not equivalent to broadcast, and as social media has already demonstrated, every attempt at that migration will come with its own legal and cultural pitfalls.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 25 Mar. 2026
Rebecca Strong, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
But Lynch's remarks reinforce the pitfalls of trying to sidestep drawdowns by making dramatic moves.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 2 Apr. 2026
That’s because this approach avoids the pitfalls of previous gun control attempts.
—Marcia Zug, The Conversation, 2 Apr. 2026
The Nerones hope to avoid the many pitfalls by doing extensive research before jumping in.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
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
Those digital spaces are not equivalent to broadcast, and as social media has already demonstrated, every attempt at that migration will come with its own legal and cultural pitfalls.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 25 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pitfalls
Noun
-
The phrase was originally associated with Sutskever, who used it to caution his colleagues about the risks of artificial general intelligence—the threshold at which machines match human cognitive capacities.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Blue Lagoon Cruises said pumpable fuel as well as other oils stored onboard the ship had been removed by Monday, diminishing environmental risks.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Kuwait Army also said its air defense systems were responding to hostile missiles and drone threats.—
NPR Staff,
NPR,
3 Apr. 2026
-
After years of silently suffering extensive mental and physical abuse as well as threats of retaliation, Taylor is finally gaining the strength to face her accuser and taking steps to ensure that she and her children are protected from any further harm.—
Liza Esquibias,
PEOPLE,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But her journey hasn’t been without a few hitches.—
Aaron Tolentino,
New York Times,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The draft horse shows this week during the stock show’s 120th anniversary will include 15 six-horse hitches, or six horses pulling a wagon.—
Judith Kohler,
Denver Post,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Yu said neighbors have long warned about the dangers.—
Kenny Choi,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
-
The physical dangers inherent in productions at this time were inseparable from the stories appearing onscreen, because simulation was more or less impossible; filmmaking was analog.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But a redevelopment plan for at least one of those schools, North Fork Elementary, could face some snags.—
Scott Travis,
Sun Sentinel,
4 Apr. 2026
-
On Thursday, Pages had another one of his sensational snags, taking an angle that would’ve made a defensive back proud in pursuit of Geraldo Perdomo’s fly ball to start the seventh.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
For more than a month, security practitioners have been warning about the perils of using OpenClaw, the viral AI agentic tool that has taken the development community by storm.—
Dan Goodin,
ArsTechnica,
3 Apr. 2026
-
But the strategy has perils and pitfalls.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pitfalls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pitfalls. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
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