as in trapdoor
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Recent Examples of portcullis
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
The front door is often guarded with a metal portcullis.
—Ruth Bloomfield, WSJ, 31 Aug. 2017
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
The front door is often guarded with a metal portcullis.
—Ruth Bloomfield, WSJ, 31 Aug. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portcullis
Noun
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The problem is that if a deal goes bad, then the trapdoor does indeed fall out and the financial breaking of the back and subsequent strangulation does occur.—
Jay Adkisson,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
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Despite knowing of the dangers, Mendez, a native of the Dominican Republic, and her conspirators stored fentanyl and press machines beneath trapdoors under play mats and cribs, according to court records.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
3 Mar. 2025
Noun
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There were no rips in the fabric of memory, in this view, because there were no memories to mend—no foundational oral tradition beneath the narratives, only a lattice of tropes.—
Adam Gopnik,
The New Yorker,
24 Mar. 2025
-
These atoms or molecules are arranged in repeating three-dimensional patterns known as lattices.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
21 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Fans have been enjoying showcasing how the new trailers have unlocked new fears including those who removed their septum rings following the first trailer and those reacting to glass falling into ice, lawnmowers, trampolines, revolving doors and glass floors.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
27 Mar. 2025
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The sudden about-face has raised questions by ethics experts about the revolving door between regulators and the industry – a door one state lawmaker wants to shut behind Trombetta.—
Alexandra Glorioso,
Miami Herald,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The venue will be reshaped to the field dimensions of cricket, which differ markedly to baseball, and specialized drop-in turf wickets will be installed.—
Tristan Lavalette,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025
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The wicket that will be utilized at the Coliseum is currently in Nassau County, N.Y., where it was most recently used at the World Cup.—
Melissa Lockard,
New York Times,
26 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Portcullis.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portcullis. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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