as in portcullis
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Recent Examples of trapdoor
But the culture does prime young men to align themselves emotionally with sports and then offer them the trapdoor of an opportunity to return on that investment.
—
Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 1 Feb. 2026
To O’Connor, humor is a trapdoor, a way to disarm the audience in order to deliver that emotional payload.
—Senior Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
Similar to the Broadway musical, the new movie ends with Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and her strawman swain Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) walking into the sunset away from Oz, after the revelation that Elphaba staged her own melting death by hiding under a trapdoor.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 22 Nov. 2025
His stomach dropped as the trapdoor opened beneath him, plunging him into a void of air.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trapdoor
Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 1 Feb. 2026
To O’Connor, humor is a trapdoor, a way to disarm the audience in order to deliver that emotional payload.
—Senior Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
Similar to the Broadway musical, the new movie ends with Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and her strawman swain Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) walking into the sunset away from Oz, after the revelation that Elphaba staged her own melting death by hiding under a trapdoor.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 22 Nov. 2025
His stomach dropped as the trapdoor opened beneath him, plunging him into a void of air.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trapdoor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trapdoor
Noun
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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
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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
Noun
-
The actress and singer turned to styling duo Rob Zangardi and Mariel Haenn for her look — a dramatic, strapless gown with a flowing, voluminous skirt and lattice detailing.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
27 May 2026
-
More advanced than gravel, lattice pavers allow for grass to grow.—
Aya Diab,
Fortune,
23 May 2026
Noun
-
Matt Strahm entered the first floor of Kauffman Stadium and made a right turn toward the double doors leading to the Kansas City Royals’ clubhouse.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Dual sets of double doors lead to a 1,200-square-foot terrace with alfresco dining and lounge spaces.—
Demetrius Simms,
Robb Report,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The plant has also seen a revolving door of billionaire visitors who came to see that their chutes work as advertised.—
Pat Maio,
Oc Register,
29 May 2026
-
Over its three decades on the air, The View has been a revolving door for talent, with everyone from respected journalists and legal experts to famous actresses and quippy comedians hosting ABC's daytime talk show over the years.—
Chris Snellgrove,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
Smith then ran himself out while Foxcroft appeared headed to a century on debut against Ireland's fledgling attack — first-day, three-wicket star Adair didn't bowl on Thursday.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 May 2026
-
The Royals won the match by six wickets, with four balls left, to keep them in fourth on level points with Royal Challengers Bengalaru and Sunrisers Hyderabad, one point off the top spot.—
Jessica Hopkins,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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That includes opening hatches, inspecting anchors and using high-temperature water to destroy any aquatic invasive species, said officials.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
3 June 2026
-
The eggs hatch intolarvae that burrow into the wound and feed on living tissue, then after about 7 days of feeding, larvae drop to theground, burrow into the soil, and pupate.—
Mateo Rosiles,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
Noun
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Upon arrival, police discovered Sheppard’s storm door shattered and the main door ajar.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
10 May 2026
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Officers who responded to Sheppard's home found the storm door glass shattered, the front door open and Sheppard inside, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, FOX 54 reported.—
KC Baker,
PEOPLE,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Trapdoor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trapdoor. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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