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
-
Anxious times for Forest, only five points above the relegation trapdoor.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Authorities found a kilo of fentanyl in a closet and 12 more kilos of narcotics under a trapdoor in the children's playroom.—
Doha Madani,
NBC news,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The precision problem Until now, scientists have used hard quantum sensors, such as nanodiamonds, which rely on random defects in a crystal lattice.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Apr. 2026
-
As researchers discovered decades ago, magnetic strength can be greatly improved by adding to the crystalline lattice atoms with unpaired electrons in the 4f orbital—notably the rare earth elements neodymium, praseodymium, and dysprosium.—
Glenn Zorpette,
IEEE Spectrum,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Voters have rightly demanded a more serious response to addiction, mental illness, retail theft and the revolving door between the streets, emergency rooms and jails.—
Matt Mahan,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 May 2026
-
The penalty boxes at the Tsongas Center were a revolving door, as six infractions were called amid a physical start from both teams.—
Jason Cooke,
Boston Herald,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
Hyderabad pace trio of Akif Javed, Mohammad Ali and Hunain Shah claimed six wickets between them while Saim Ayub and Glenn Maxwell also picked up a wicket each as Multan got restricted at 159-9.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Families will gather at 10 a.m. under the Green Street wickets to take a stroll with the Easter Bunny.—
Janice Phelan,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Portcullis.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portcullis. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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