pitfalls

plural of pitfall
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

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 pitfalls That doesn’t mean, however, that the show’s creator and stars have been able to avoid the same pitfalls as their characters. — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026 For all of its subtext about the pitfalls of algorithms, the film doesn’t wallow in nostalgia. — Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026 My parents were always a bit concerned about nightlife, drugs, all the pitfalls of what the nightlife could be. — Katie Bain, Billboard, 16 Oct. 2026 As African industry professionals convened at this year’s Durban FilmMart, both the potential and pitfalls of artificial intelligence were high on the agenda. — Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026 To avoid the pitfalls of apps like Tinder and Hinge—where women are vastly outnumbered by men and are therefore overwhelmed by choice while men receive very few matches—FirstDate uses a Nobel Prize-winning matching theory algorithm. — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2026 Hastert was aware of the personal pitfalls of holding the powerful position. — Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026 Wikimedia, however, believes that accepting the pitfalls isn’t enough and that OpenAI must monitor and prevent these security incidents. — Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 6 Oct. 2026 Recognizing these pitfalls early can help leaders steer their organizations through uncertainty without sacrificing future stability. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pitfalls
Noun
  • Rather than chasing fancy titles or splashy paychecks throughout her career, she’s gravitated toward jobs that pushed her out of her comfort zone, forced her to take risks, and taught her to embrace a little chaos.
    — Preston Fore, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Next week will bring major risks for a stock market that's trying to find its footing as the AI trade continues to stumble, with several megacap earnings, a Federal Reserve meeting and a key inflation report in store.
    — Sarah Min, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Trump has repeated threats to take out power plants and other infrastructure.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The President’s campaign to seize control of the midterms has gone far beyond voter purges and threats to withhold federal funding.
    — Barton Gellman, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Some games entirely errored out, some had hitches, and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite chips were targeting relatively low-end gaming to begin with.
    — Sean Hollister, The Verge, 15 Oct. 2026
  • That type of physicality can come in handy on plays like quick hitches, screens, drags run over the middle of the field.
    — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 20 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • According to the Cleveland Clinic, among the dangers of vaping are addiction to nicotine, asthma, cancer, lung scarring, coughing, shortness of breath and a dry/irritated mouth and throat.
    — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Doing so is not only a matter of altruism; the United States itself will have to grapple with migrants fleeing failing states, pandemics, and the dangers of climate change.
    — Charles Kupchan, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Efforts to move the games to larger area venues, such as Gas South Arena (around 13,000 seats) and Georgia Tech’s McCamish Pavilion (8,600 seats), have hit snags, according to USA Today.
    — Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Gurman claims the foldable is still on track for this fall, despite chatter about manufacturing snags.
    — Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 8 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The author behind the singular Elizabeth Zott returns with ‘Peck & Peck,’ a sharp, charming satire on the pretensions and perils of literary gatekeepers.
    — Leigh Haber, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
  • One of the best ways to stay private and protect yourself from the internet's many perils is a VPN.
    — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 7 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Pitfalls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pitfalls. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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