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
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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
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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
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of trap
Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 26 June 2025
But when one partner becomes the center of the other’s emotional universe, that pedestal can quickly turn into a trap for both people involved.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 June 2025
The third sign is subcutaneous emphysema, a fancy medical term for having air trapped in the tissues under your skin where it isn’t supposed to be.
—Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for trap
Noun
In the finale, finally confronting the trap of his joyless existence, Carmy reveals his decision to step away from the kitchen, perhaps for good, in search of the space to become a whole person.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 26 June 2025
But when one partner becomes the center of the other’s emotional universe, that pedestal can quickly turn into a trap for both people involved.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
Verb
Avoid tapestries in kitchens, baths, and rooms with a lot of moisture or smells that can get trapped in the fibers.
—Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 June 2025
The third sign is subcutaneous emphysema, a fancy medical term for having air trapped in the tissues under your skin where it isn’t supposed to be.
—Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for trap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trap
Noun
-
She was frequently caught short by the playwright’s winking ambush.—
Han Ong,
New Yorker,
22 June 2025
-
The new film continues the saga with a fresh high-stakes adventure, in which the fearsome Countess of Gral ambushes Captain Sabertooth’s ship, stealing a sacred figurehead and kidnapping young crewmate Pinky.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
10 June 2025
Noun
-
About a dozen streets on it bore names; the rest was a tangle of lines.—
The New York Times,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 June 2025
-
That development was paused amid a tangle of lawsuits in 2023 and 2024, but is moving forward after the cases were resolved in November and March.—
Nick Rosenberger,
Idaho Statesman,
4 June 2025
Noun
-
Right as Elio opens his mouth to respond, the scene cuts, and the credits return.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
20 June 2025
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Internet users can't get enough of an adorable cat whose tongue is perpetually hanging out of his mouth due to having so many of his teeth removed.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 June 2025
Verb
-
Most horror flicks entrap their characters in one location or put them in some sort of unique, tense situation (think: satanic possession, or pissing off the wrong truck driver, attracting the wrong person, etc.), but in Final Destination, Death works with the great mundane canvas of ordinary life.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
16 May 2025
-
Early motherhood entraps them—and their children—in a bleak socioeconomic cycle that’s almost impossible to break.—
Elise Taylor,
Vogue,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
One four-person crew in a 24-foot open-bow MasterCraft grabbed their life jackets, wisely abandoned the boat and swam to shore.—
George Skelton,
Los Angeles Times,
30 June 2025
-
Watching robots like Barb and Peter grab your order in just seconds is pretty impressive, but what's even more remarkable is that this technology is already making shopping quicker, safer, and a whole lot easier.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
30 June 2025
Noun
-
Beyond that, apex scavengers are sometimes killed accidentally—hyenas and lions can get caught in wire snares meant for herbivores in Africa.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
18 June 2025
-
Immediately, the divine collides with the inane, and Goddess runs into a fundamental dramatic snare.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
21 May 2025
Noun
-
Regional authorities in Lviv, which borders Poland, reported attacks on critical infrastructure but no casualties.—
Ellie Cook,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 June 2025
-
Google confirming attacks on Gmail users is headline news (1,2).—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2025
Noun
-
Each insurance company seems to have its own labyrinth of portals and billing procedures.—
Paulina Wierzbicka,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
-
Deep beneath the Zagros Mountains in central Iran, in a labyrinth of fortified tunnels outside the city of Natanz, centrifuges spun at speeds too fast for the eye to track.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
19 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Trap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trap. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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