as in trapdoor
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Recent Examples of portcullis
The entrance to the car park even passes under a portcullis and guests’ bags go through an X-ray machine hidden in the rock-face.
—
Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
The prior owner went all out on building a Medieval-style castle, with a moat, a drawbridge and a portcullis.
—Katherine Clarke, WSJ, 3 Mar. 2022
Medieval amenities include a moat, two watchtowers and two gates, a drawbridge, an underground cave (complete with a Jacuzzi!), trap doors, and a genuine portcullis (a metal-and-wood gate typically seen in medieval fortresses).
—Mary Elizabeth Andriotis, House Beautiful, 20 Jan. 2022
Then Iraq’s new rulers lowered a paper portcullis, demanding fees and the completion of myriad forms.
—The Economist, 10 Apr. 2021
Pass beneath an imposing portcullis into Edinburgh Castle, home to the National War Museum and the 12th-century St. Margaret’s Chapel—believed to be the oldest building in Edinburgh.
—National Geographic, 12 June 2019
Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
The prior owner went all out on building a Medieval-style castle, with a moat, a drawbridge and a portcullis.
—Katherine Clarke, WSJ, 3 Mar. 2022
Medieval amenities include a moat, two watchtowers and two gates, a drawbridge, an underground cave (complete with a Jacuzzi!), trap doors, and a genuine portcullis (a metal-and-wood gate typically seen in medieval fortresses).
—Mary Elizabeth Andriotis, House Beautiful, 20 Jan. 2022
Then Iraq’s new rulers lowered a paper portcullis, demanding fees and the completion of myriad forms.
—The Economist, 10 Apr. 2021
Pass beneath an imposing portcullis into Edinburgh Castle, home to the National War Museum and the 12th-century St. Margaret’s Chapel—believed to be the oldest building in Edinburgh.
—National Geographic, 12 June 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portcullis
Noun
-
To O’Connor, humor is a trapdoor, a way to disarm the audience in order to deliver that emotional payload.—
Senior Editor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Dec. 2025
-
Similar to the Broadway musical, the new movie ends with Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and her strawman swain Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) walking into the sunset away from Oz, after the revelation that Elphaba staged her own melting death by hiding under a trapdoor.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
22 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Lay half of strips lengthwise over jam mixture, spacing evenly, then arrange remaining strips crosswise across, working alternately over and under lengthwise strips to create a lattice pattern (leave barely any space between strips so top is completely covered).—
Jesse Szewczyk,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The lattice work details on the side give it vintage detail, and the classic scalloped knobs add even more nostalgia.—
Shea Simmons,
Southern Living,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Under the noses of her family, Kelly’s business team, and the revolving door of yes-people in his recording studio and homes, the book details how Kelly stealthily groomed the middle-schooler in plain sight.—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
31 Jan. 2026
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Tommy Edman’s recurring ankle injury (which required surgery following the season) and Hyeseong Kim’s slow transition to MLB made second base a revolving door that saw six different players start games.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Indian Motorcycle Nostalgia is a tricky wicket for manufacturers.—
William Roberson,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Rahman, a 30-year-old fast bowler, is the all-time leading wicket-taker for his nation in T20 cricket and has played regularly for Bangladesh across all formats of the game.—
Colin Millar,
New York Times,
16 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Portcullis.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portcullis. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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