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 seamless haptic touchpad and flush, edge-to-edge keyboard are out in favor of a more traditional lattice keyboard and a mechanical-click touchpad.—
Matthew Buzzi,
PC Magazine,
17 June 2026
-
Or consider a trellis- or lattice-style screen, with or without climbing vines, to give off homey garden vibes.—
Sheila Kim,
The Spruce,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
Britain's revolving door of prime minister, affecting both Labour and Conservative parties, accelerated in the wake of the 2016 Brexit vote to leave the European Union economic bloc.—
Kim Hjelmgaard,
USA Today,
22 June 2026
-
Other McDonald’s pies Nothing beats classic apple, but McDonald’s has offered a revolving door of seasonal pie flavors over the years, McClatchy News previously reported.—
Tanasia Kenney,
Charlotte Observer,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
Mooney shared 50 runs off 28 balls for the opening wicket with Georgia Voll (17) and 101 off 55 with Ash Gardner (58), who returned from an ankle sprain.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 June 2026
-
That technology can adjudicate on catches and leg before wicket calls but is largely reliant on sensitive microphones positioned at the base of the stumps, rather than a sensor within the ball.—
Philip Buckingham,
New York Times,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Portcullis.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portcullis. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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