tourist trap

noun

: a place that attracts and exploits tourists

Examples of tourist trap in a Sentence

The street market is a tourist trap that mostly sells cheap souvenirs. That hotel is just a tourist trap.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
My mom thought any place with more than six rooms was a tourist trap. — Amanda Peet, New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2026 While there are tourist traps here, some gems do exist in this part of town, too. — Jacqueline Dole, Travel + Leisure, 13 June 2026 Where to eat Vaudin says that the island’s food scene, once dominated by tourist traps, has slowly blossomed. — Caitlin Gunther, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 June 2026 For years, Seattle’s waterfront was isolated and written off as a tourist trap thanks to a double-decker highway that cleaved it from the rest of the city. — Allecia Vermillion, Bon Appetit Magazine, 26 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for tourist trap

Word History

First Known Use

1942, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tourist trap was in 1942

Rhymes for tourist trap

See All Rhymes for tourist trap

Browse Nearby Words

tourist season
tourist trap
touristy
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tourist trap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tourist%20trap. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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