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 district’s surveillance traps show numbers of Culex mosquitos — the primary vectors of West Nile virus — are at their highest. — Alula Alderson, Sacbee.com, 14 July 2026

The federal agency detailed removal efforts on its website, including traps baited with eggs and trackers to lure tegus and study their movements. — Rylan Digiacomo-Rapp, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 July 2026

These exit the traps at a touch over 260mph (418km/h), and do the quarter-m mile in about six seconds. — New Atlas, 13 July 2026

Sticky traps are an easy to way to reduce fly populations without insecticides. — Faith Wakefield, USA Today, 10 July 2026

Perhaps Olyphant stands out so much because his character is transparently one thing, whereas similarly exciting talents like Sevigny, Hall, and Carden have to sell rounder arcs laden with melodramatic traps. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 9 July 2026

To control earwigs, reduce moisture, seal entry points, and use traps, diatomaceous earth, natural repellents, or insecticides. — Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 July 2026

The long-standing problem is that Skid Row is both a social service center and a mecca of drugs and other vices, with traps on every block. — Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026

Muscato emphasizes clarity in decision-making, the importance of building trust under pressure, and the discipline to avoid the traps of overreach and hubris. — Forbes Books Press Release Official, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026

Verb

The heat dome — an atmospheric phenomenon that essentially traps hot air over a particular location — built in the West after the first heat wave of the summer began to bake the area last week. — Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 12 July 2026

The hollow center traps heat-carrying vibrations, while still allowing electricity to flow. — Alex Knapp, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026

The recent heat dome, a high-pressure weather system that traps heat and humidity over a region, affected some specialty farmers who produce crops of fruits and vegetables. — ABC News, 8 July 2026

Odor Remediation Odor often results from product buildup that traps bacteria, leaving clean clothes smelling less than fresh. — Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 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

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