Definition of pitfallnext
1
as in risk
a danger or difficulty that is hidden or not easily recognized buying a house can be full of pitfalls for the unwary

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2
as in threat
something that may cause injury or harm one of the pitfalls of ignorance is that people will also assume you're stupid

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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 pitfall Those digital spaces are not equivalent to broadcast, and as social media has already demonstrated, every attempt at that migration will come with its own legal and cultural pitfalls. Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 25 Mar. 2026 That choice could have brought its own pitfalls. Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 25 Mar. 2026 The forthcoming guide, which education officials have described as a first step toward a more comprehensive handbook to be issued at a later date, is coming as families and teachers are deeply divided and anxious about the potential — and pitfalls — of the new technology. Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 23 Mar. 2026 For all its divine ambition, the series falls victim to the same old pitfalls that have sunk biopics of so many lesser mortals. Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 22 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pitfall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pitfall
Noun
  • So the San Francisco Bay Area resident went back to a family recipe and decided to take a risk, with a whisk.
    Itay Hod, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026
  • The notion of compliance as an interconnected system aligns with broader trends in risk management.
    Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • When the soil is warm and dry and the last threat of frost has passed, focus on pruning, prepping and feeding your plants.
    Alora Bopray, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026
  • The organization's latest concern is AI in the classroom, which Moms for Liberty sees as a threat to parental control over education.
    ABC News, ABC News, 4 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Both ballot measures failed, but post-election analysis showed that both counties pulled off all-mail balloting without much of a hitch or any challenge to its procedures or validity.
    ORLANDO SENTINEL AND MIAMI HERALD EDITORIAL BOARDS, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Mar. 2026
  • The second test went off without a hitch in 2019.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Israel, meanwhile, saw Nasser’s rising influence across the Arab world as a danger, and wanted an excuse to cut him down, and to target Palestinian fedayeen militants who were operating in Gaza and the Sinai Peninsula, which were both controlled by Egypt at the time.
    Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
  • Although winds will be mostly light, between 5 and 10 mph, the dry air combined with very dry vegetation will result in a continuation of elevated fire danger.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 29 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The snag for Sacramento is a lack of hotel rooms near downtown to pass that bid process.
    Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 31 Mar. 2026
  • On Thursday, Pages had another one of his sensational snags, taking an angle that would’ve made a defensive back proud in pursuit of Geraldo Perdomo’s fly ball to start the seventh.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Pitfall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pitfall. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.

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