1
as in ambush
a device or scheme for capturing another by surprise
undercover agents devised a trap to catch the counterfeiters a bear trap
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in ambushment
a setup in which hidden attackers lie in wait
an overland route to the Far East that was once notorious for the many robbers who laid traps for unsuspecting wayfarers
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in tangle
something that catches and holds
the promotion is really just a trap to keep her from taking a new job elsewhere
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to tangle
to catch or hold as if in a net
an ambitious young man who was now trapped in a series of shady business deals
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to grab
to take physical control or possession of (something) suddenly or forcibly
finally trapped the annoying fly in the palm of his hand
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of trap
Martha Ross, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2025
Tradition is both a source of security and a pacifying trap today.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025
Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2025
But most of the gases beneath the volcano at Yellowstone are not trapped, emerging through geothermal features at Yellowstone’s surface.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trap
Noun
Arakawa and Hackman were seemingly aware of the infestation because traps had been set up around the property, TMZ said.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2025
Tradition is both a source of security and a pacifying trap today.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
The ribbons trap the fruity dressing but aren’t overly saturated.
—Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2025
But most of the gases beneath the volcano at Yellowstone are not trapped, emerging through geothermal features at Yellowstone’s surface.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trap
Noun
-
The majority are exported to the U.S. and the E.U. But in the wild, this shy companion turns into a patient ambush hunter.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
25 Apr. 2025
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Since coming together under the coalitions, gangs have proven themselves to be more mobile and more coordinated, carrying out military-style ambushes far away from their strongholds .—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The possible legal tangle between Minnesota and the Trump administration mirrors a similar situation between the administration and Maine, whose leaders have also refused to follow Trump’s anti-trans sports order.—
Abby Monteil,
Them.,
23 Apr. 2025
-
Bateman and his team had been studying tau tangles, the abnormal clumps of protein that form inside the neurons of people with Alzheimer's.—
Jon Hamilton,
NPR,
2 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Instead, their mouth parts are made for primarily sucking on plant sap.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
22 Apr. 2025
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The health of the person In adults, signs of poisoning can include pins and needles sensations (typically in your hands, feet, and around your mouth); loss of coordination; loss of peripheral vision; speech, hearing, and walking impairments; and muscle weakness, according to the EPA.—
Caroline Tien,
SELF,
22 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
In the book, Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates) chops off romance novelist Paul Sheldon's feet as part of her efforts to entrap him permanently in her home.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
EW.com,
29 Apr. 2025
-
Nearly 4 years in jail on choking charges Since he’s been in jail, Bishop has sent letters to courthouse officials — including Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Carla Archie and Clerk of Court Elisa Chinn-Gary — saying Blackwell, police and judges entrapped him by filing false charges.—
Julia Coin,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Keep scrolling for more comfortable and packable flats to grab this season from Amazon, Nordstrom, Zappos, and more—starting at $25.—
Aly Walansky,
Travel + Leisure,
1 May 2025
-
Marsh male warbler simultaneously serenades its partner while grabbing a quick snack.—
Cecilia Rodriguez,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
Noun
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The movie’s pivot to vampires is a supernatural vision of the real-life snares set for great Black musicians.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2025
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Hungry Lion Records grants him the space to do so with an almost-morose mixture of trap snares and synths that invites listeners to focus on his soul-baring lyrics.—
Kyle Denis,
Billboard,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Whitmer wages charm offensive against Trump as other Dems attack As much as Trump enjoys skewering his rivals, the president has lauded Whitmer on multiple occasions since returning to power.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
1 May 2025
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The next year, several of them banded together to launch their own attack on the Ottoman empire.—
Margaret MacMillan,
The Atlantic,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Over the last six decades, the Defense Department has created a labyrinth of rules, regulations, and confusing acquisition policies that encourage risk aversion and inertia.—
MICHAEL BROWN,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Apr. 2025
-
Procurement operates in one system, accounts payable in another and vendor data lives across a labyrinth of spreadsheets and email threads.—
Laurent Charpentier,
Forbes.com,
22 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Trap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trap. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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