TRAPS Synonyms: 136 Similar and Opposite Words

traps 1 of 2

noun

plural of trap

as in ambushes

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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Relevance

as in ambushments

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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as in tangles

something that catches and holds the promotion is really just a trap to keep her from taking a new job elsewhere

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as in mouths

slang the opening through which food passes into the body of an animal shut your trap before someone belts you one!

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traps

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of trap

as in snares

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

as in grabs

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

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 traps

Noun

There are no hard and fast rules to avoid value traps. —

Zev Fima, CNBC, 4 Mar. 2026 Sierra Canyon head coach Andre Chevalier employed various half-court traps in the first half. —

Dan Rios, Daily News, 1 Mar. 2026

Verb

The microfiber head traps dust and dirt to minimize debris that falls to the floor. —

Bestreviews, Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2026 The story sees a soccer team of 12 boys and their assistant coach enter the Tham Luang Nang Non cave system, which floods after a downpour and traps them. —

Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for traps

Recent Examples of Synonyms for traps

Noun

In the months before the surge in operations, police lost 25 armored vehicles to ambushes involving barricades, trenches and Molotov cocktail attacks, authorities said.

— Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 27 Jan. 2026
Hamas has used the tunnels to store weapons, hide hostages and stage ambushes of Israeli soldiers.

— Samuel Granados, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026