TRAPS Synonyms: 136 Similar and Opposite Words

traps 1 of 2

noun

Definition of traps

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

The team said traps with adjustable volumes could also accommodate more atoms in future experiments. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2026 Claxton also will be expected to advance the ball out of the backcourt when guards come under siege from high traps, a consistent pattern from opposing defenses because of the Bulls’ tendency to turn the ball over. — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 6 Nov. 2026 Malaise traps passively capture bugs, but require a bit of work to maintain. — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 4 Nov. 2026 Liakopoulos recommends placing traps behind kitchen appliances, in the loft or attic, and basement, as those are common mouse hiding spots. — Emily Benda Gaylord, The Spruce, 1 Nov. 2026 The Ritz-Carlton Spa floats out over the crashing waves, with its six pod-like pavilions inspired by traditional Malay fishing traps, or ‘bubus’. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Oct. 2026 But methane traps heat about 80 times more effectively than carbon over 20 years and about 28 times more effectively over the course of a century. — Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 29 Oct. 2026 Korean practitioners also use neurotoxins for body contouring on calves, traps and deltoids, a practice not yet common stateside. — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 26 Oct. 2026 Sacramento County Health Inspectors gave a red placard to Wienerschnitzel in Natomas after finding 33 German cockroaches in various areas of the facility including on the floor beneath the ice machine and on three glue traps. — Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026

Verb

When a frozen body appears, and a snowstorm traps everyone inside, the deaths begin to mount. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 29 Oct. 2026 This traps the carbon dioxide naturally, creating small bubbles that last longer, called the mousse. — Bianca Lambert, Southern Living, 24 Oct. 2026 These microbes formed biopolymers that soaked the sand, creating a mesh that traps nearby particles. — Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2026 This loop traps us, backfilling saved time with even more low-value complexity rather than freeing up space for deep thinking. — Stephanie Kramer, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026 Once the festivities get rolling, though, ferociously bad weather rolls in and traps them there for the foreseeable future. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 9 Oct. 2026 During sunny and warm summer days, the atmosphere becomes incredibly stable, Macaday said, and in turn traps pollutants from car exhausts, ground-level ozone and pollen in the bowl. — Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 6 Oct. 2026 After all there’s nothing very funny about an incurable disease that traps you inside your body. — Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026 Harming any of these beings results in negative karma, which further traps souls in samsara. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for traps

Noun

With roads around the hospital unsafe, transferring patients to other facilities was not an option in the first hours of the attack, while sending ambulances into the field risked exposing them to Hamas ambushes.

— Amelie Botbol, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Social Media Capture The underlying tactic is not new, with both Russian and Ukrainian forces having previously used armed FPV drones to conduct roadside ambushes.

— Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of ambushes

Noun

Attacks continued, despite a peace agreement The government struck a peace agreement with Tigrayan rebels in 2022, ending most hostilities, but attacks on healthcare continued.

— Durrie Bouscaren, NPR, 10 Nov. 2026
The last three-way talks, in Geneva nine months ago, also took place as attacks continued.

— Susie Blann, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2026

Definition of attacks

Noun

Both amyloid beta and tau are normally present in healthy brains; the plaques and tangles are abnormal aggregations of these molecules.

— Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026
The shampoo didn’t strip the tester’s already-dry hair, and a two-minute conditioner left her tangles smooth enough to finger-comb.

— Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of tangles

Verb

The hallmarks of the Navy Blue sound are present—barely-there snares keeping time in the distance, string samples melting into reflective puddles, overtones from resonant piano lines.

— Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 10 June 2026
Hair snares use tape and wire to collect DNA and other data by collecting a sample of wild animal hair when creatures pass by, according to Popular Science.

— Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026

Definition of snares

Verb

Love grabs 15 rebounds in the third quarter alone, and the Timberwolves rally from a 21-point, third-quarter deficit to stun the New York Knicks 112-103.

— Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 12 Nov. 2026
The episode builds to a climactic moment where Flynn’s mother, Skyler, grabs a knife and brandishes it at her husband.

— Dean Norris, Vanity Fair, 10 Nov. 2026