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
Relevance
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
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
But the strategy has perils and pitfalls.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 28 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
That choice could have brought its own pitfalls.
—Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 25 Mar. 2026
The forthcoming guide, which education officials have described as a first step toward a more comprehensive handbook to be issued at a later date, is coming as families and teachers are deeply divided and anxious about the potential — and pitfalls — of the new technology.
—Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 23 Mar. 2026
For all its divine ambition, the series falls victim to the same old pitfalls that have sunk biopics of so many lesser mortals.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 22 Mar. 2026
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
But the strategy has perils and pitfalls.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 28 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
That choice could have brought its own pitfalls.
—Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 25 Mar. 2026
The forthcoming guide, which education officials have described as a first step toward a more comprehensive handbook to be issued at a later date, is coming as families and teachers are deeply divided and anxious about the potential — and pitfalls — of the new technology.
—Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 23 Mar. 2026
For all its divine ambition, the series falls victim to the same old pitfalls that have sunk biopics of so many lesser mortals.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 22 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
-
But Missy Cummings, a professor of engineering and computing at George Mason University, said these crashes highlight some of the dangers of partially autonomous driving systems that allow people to disengage.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Angie Martinez knows the dangers of street harassment all to well.—
Allen Devlin,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 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 6 Apr. 2026.
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