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
-
Then around a dozen defendants took their seats after climbing steps that led directly from the basement floor into a courtroom trapdoor.—
Kaya Genç,
The Dial,
9 June 2026
-
The trapdoor to the treehouse does not open from the outside.—
Mark Nevins,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
The simulations relied on lattices with millions of grid points.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
12 June 2026
-
Our test prints cover a wide range of real-world scenarios, from fine-detail calibration plates and dimensional-accuracy blocks to functional parts and more complex geometries like lattice baskets and overhang tests.—
Michael Lydick,
PC Magazine,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
In some ways, DOGE acted as an expedited revolving door, giving the young engineers brief, chaotic experience across multiple government agencies, before spitting them back into the Valley, which is chock-full of investors itching to get in on government-adjacent technology.—
Margaux MacColl,
Vanity Fair,
12 June 2026
-
Mass firings, communication freezes, political interference in the CDC’s scientific mission and a revolving door of leaders have created a challenging work environment for the CDC’s employees.—
Candice Johnson,
The Conversation,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
The openers started well – Sediqullah Atal scored 42 off 80 and put on 42 for the first wicket, before Mohammed Siraj trapped Abdil Malik (8) lbw.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 June 2026
-
When Ollie Robinson takes three wickets in an over, a man in advanced stages of refreshment dashes from the bar in the Harris Garden to watch a replay on the big screens, through the gap between two stands.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
5 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Portcullis.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portcullis. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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