Thesaurus results for PORTCULLIS

portcullis

noun

Definition of portcullis

as in trapdoor

Related Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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 Then Iraq’s new rulers lowered a paper portcullis, demanding fees and the completion of myriad forms. — The Economist, 10 Apr. 2021

Recent Examples of Synonyms for portcullis

Noun

Daredevils dig Screaming Hyena, a 60-foot trapdoor slide that drops from the roof!

— Alicia Underlee Nelson, Midwest Living, 15 July 2026
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

Definition of trapdoor

Noun

Instead, the real-time images revealed that copper retained order in its crystal lattice and melted steadily past this theoretical limit.

— Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2026
Months later, to her delight, a bounty of new sprouts appeared, ready to guide into a lattice pattern.

— Teresa Woodard, Midwest Living, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of lattice

Noun

When play resumed after the long delay, Rishabh Pant (39) attacked the bowling but only managed to throw away his wicket.

— ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
Australia reigned supreme in the T20 World Cup final with a crushing seven-wicket victory over England, completed with 17 balls to spare in front of a Lord’s crowd of 28,887, a record for women’s cricket.

— Paul Newman, New York Times, 5 July 2026

Definition of wicket

Browse Nearby Words

portals

portcullis

portcullises

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Portcullis.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portcullis. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of portcullis

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

lackadaisical

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes