Synonyms of traps

traps 1 of 2

noun

plural of trap

1

as in ambushes

a device or scheme for capturing another by surprise

undercover agents devised a trap to catch the counterfeiters

a bear trap

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ambushes
• snares
• nets
• webs
• ruses
• tricks
• deceptions
• entanglements
• hazards
• pitfalls
• snags
• subterfuges
• catches
• entrapments
• land mines
• booby traps
• envelopments
• artifices
• cheats
• enmeshments
• ploys
• duplicities
• double-dealings

2

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ambushes
• ambushments
• attacks
• surprises
• ambuscades
• snares
• assaults
• mousetraps
• sallies
• entrapments
• captures
• charges
• huntings

3

as in tangles

something that catches and holds

the promotion is really just a trap to keep her from taking a new job elsewhere

Synonyms & Similar Words

• tangles
• snares
• nets
• webs
• entanglements
• labyrinths
• meshes
• mazes
• toils
• quicksands
• nooses
• quagmires
• morasses
• tanglements
• snarls
• knots
• cobwebs
• spiderwebs
• cat's cradles

4

as in mouths

slang the opening through which food passes into the body of an animal

shut your trap before someone belts you one!

Synonyms & Similar Words

• mouths
• chops
• gobs
• jaws
• pieholes
• yaps
• kissers
• mugs
• muzzles
• faces
• mandibles
• visages
• pusses
• countenances
• maws
• maxillae
• gullets

traps

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of trap

1

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• tangles
• snares
• entraps
• nets
• ensnares
• meshes
• enmeshes
• entangles
• involves
• captures
• ensnarls
• entoils
• catches up
• collars
• implicates
• bags
• embroils
• mires
• birdlimes

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• disengages
• detaches
• frees
• disentangles
• liberates
• untangles
• clears
• extricates

2

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• grabs
• catches
• lands
• snatches
• snares
• captures
• seizes
• nets
• bags
• gets
• snags
• hooks
• collars
• grapples
• corrals
• raps
• nails
• nabs
• cops
• snaps (up)
• takes hold (of)
• clutches
• nobbles
• gloves
• gloms
• ropes
• arrests
• grasps
• corners
• holds
• grips
• apprehends
• fists
• entraps
• kidnaps
• clasps
• secures
• bays
• ensnares
• detains
• latches (on or onto)
• meshes
• lassos
• enmeshes
• halters
• abducts
• fastens (on)
• entangles
• rends
• spirits (away or off)
• wrests

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• misses
• releases
• frees
• discharges
• liberates
• drops
• loosens
• unhands

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of traps

Noun

The heat wave is making a bad air-quality situation worse as a high-pressure system traps soot and fine particles close to the ground instead of dispersing them. — Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026

How Often To Clean A Jute Rug The textured weave of a jute rug traps sand, dirt, and dust. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 5 July 2026

The shallow river's edge is also a playground for schoolchildren, who splash around for fun — and also are told by their parents to check fish traps. — William McCarthy, NPR, 4 July 2026

Unlike conventional ion traps that rely on oscillating radio-frequency fields, the Penning trap uses static electric and magnetic fields. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 July 2026

Applying mulch directly against plant stems traps moisture, leading to rotting and other issues. — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 July 2026

Deploying nets and traps from armored breakwalls and along shoreline boulders, their efforts weren't successful in 2024. — Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 3 July 2026

To fight mosquitoes, clean up standing water, trim shady plants, and consider using netting or mosquito traps. — Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 3 July 2026

One of the biggest traps organizations fall into is assuming employees already know what behaviors are valued. — Amee Desjourdy, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026

Verb

This approach traps dust rather than scattering it across the room and gives new life to an old pillowcase. — Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 July 2026

The high temperatures on the east coast this weekend are due to a high-pressure system known as a heat dome, a severe weather phenomenon that occurs when a high-pressure system traps a massive mass of hot air over a region, according to Gray News. — Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026

Temperatures are expected to top 100 degrees over the coming days, as high pressure traps the scorching temperatures in a heat dome, spanning from the Gulf Coast, up through the Midwest and Northeast United States. — Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 1 July 2026

The dome traps high pressure into one place, like a lid on a kettle. — Eric Lyons, CBS News, 29 June 2026

Heat domes refer to a high-pressure area in the atmosphere that extends a few miles upwards and traps hot ocean air. — Chad De Guzman, Time, 29 June 2026

Clear Overgrowth Remove dense vegetation up against the house, which traps moisture and creates a cozy habitat for termites. — Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 25 June 2026

The quantum photographer’s guide The key component of this atom camera is an optical tweezer, an instrument that traps particles by squeezing them with focused laser beams. — IEEE Spectrum, 21 June 2026

There is a sticky glue board inside that traps the pests, too. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 9 June 2026