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
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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
Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
Dallas restaurant inspectors found a live rat on a glue trap at one location and a pot of moldy soup at another in the latest round of health inspections, according to the inspection report.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Aug. 2025
Big Think, 4 Sep. 2025
All the movies are really about people trapped in a spaceship, a prison, et cetera.
—EW.com, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trap
Noun
Japan has experienced this negative population growth trap in the last decade.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
Dallas restaurant inspectors found a live rat on a glue trap at one location and a pot of moldy soup at another in the latest round of health inspections, according to the inspection report.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Aug. 2025
Verb
Those trapped in this virtual world are never alone, never able to concentrate and appreciate in their own way, silently.
—Big Think, 4 Sep. 2025
All the movies are really about people trapped in a spaceship, a prison, et cetera.
—EW.com, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trap
Noun
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Like some of the ambush drones recently seen in Ukraine, Viper can have small solar cells, powering its sensors and communications for an indefinite period, as well as slowly recharging the battery.—
David Hambling,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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The mission has also lost two members of its force in gang ambushes; while one has been confirmed dead the other is still been regarded as missing even though local media has reported him as dead.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
1 Sep. 2025
Noun
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English also says that protective or tight styles can also lead to matting if left in too long, by compacting tangles at the base.—
Grace McCarty,
Glamour,
5 Sep. 2025
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Aside from Blast vacuuming, the X9 improves on the X8 by adding zero-tangle technology to the side brush and the main brush.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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One of the two animals ended up with part of Hohl's head inside its mouth, with its jaws clamped around his cheek and skull, while the other clamped onto his left ankle.—
Becca Longmire,
People.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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The balanced fruitiness and mild acidity cut through the richness, while a creamy, buttery mouthfeel provides richness and a mouth-coating texture.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Hatt was ejected from the truck, and Winkler was entrapped.—
Caroline Neal,
Louisville Courier Journal,
26 Aug. 2025
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That total lack of self-awareness and disregard for consequences fed right into Epstein’s warped way of entrapping others.—
Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
25 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Video surveillance from the scene posted online by Fox 11 shows a man lingering near a doorway, quickly grabbing the gift box from a table and running out of the venue.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
9 Sep. 2025
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The owner wanted to keep the grab-and-go options previously offered in the space.—
La Risa R. Lynch,
jsonline.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Utilizing cameras to target offenders can both help the police deploy limited resources efficiently and — when combined with facial recognition or bike-registration data — snare offenders remotely.—
Steve Cohen,
New York Daily News,
13 July 2025
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Complaining about the rich comes with many snares, as events reminded Anwar last week.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
5 July 2025
Noun
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As aid groups say famine has already taken hold, the assault risks the lives of remaining hostages—captured by Hamas in its October 2023 attack—while Netanyahu faces mounting political turmoil at home, even as Washington continues to hold Hamas responsible for prolonging the conflict.—
Amira El-Fekki,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
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Even when put under lighter sanctions in 2018, during the Salisbury chemical attack, claims of election interference, and criminal cyber operations continued.—
Earl Carr,
Forbes.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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When a deadline is looming, which is pretty much always, the artist Takeru Hokazono’s one-room apartment in Tokyo begins to resemble a labyrinth.—
Matt Alt,
New Yorker,
25 Aug. 2025
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Pet sharks and underground labyrinths, unwelcome doppelgängers and vegetable-hungry monster-rabbits, rogue planets heading for Earth and diabolical Red Wizards—what do all these share in common?—
Travis Bean,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Trap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trap. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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