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 The biggest pitfall is treating charging as an isolated project. Karl Moore, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025 By their own admission, French and the Orioles coaching staff were late in identifying the pitfalls that led to Morton’s early struggles this season. Said Bravo, CNN Money, 18 July 2025 In addition to the many pitfalls of online dating, Gen Z is also having to navigate a dating landscape marked by steep political polarization between men and women. Charles Trepany, USA Today, 18 July 2025 Lawmakers and technology leaders alike could address this anxiety by better communicating the pitfalls and potential of AI, and take seriously the concerns of the public. Adam Eichen, The Conversation, 17 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for pitfall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pitfall
Noun
  • Family Health Centers, Inc. in Louisville is partnering with Vanderbilt University on a long-term study that will identify environmental cancer risks in the South.
    Ruby Grisin, The Courier-Journal, 30 July 2025
  • Other companies that rely on biometric data, like DNA research firm 23andMe, have reported data breaches or filed for bankruptcy, putting millions of people's personal information potentially at risk.
    Karoline Leonard, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
Noun
  • President Trump's threat against Russia and its trade partners has been met with defiance in New Delhi.
    Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 31 July 2025
  • Pushing back on the tariff threat Several industry groups have been vocal in speaking out against tariffs on European wines.
    Russ Wiles, USA Today, 31 July 2025
Noun
  • During the Sunday morning press conference following the successful landing, Firefly’s Spacecraft Program Director Ray Allensworth stated that the mission went off without a hitch, with Blue Ghost landing within its 100-meter landing zone.
    Karoline Leonard, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
  • Receiver Jaylen Waddle caught a hitch and took it 15 yards.
    Claude Smalls, Miami Herald, 30 July 2025
Noun
  • And a report released Thursday by Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, looking at the dangers of fragrances specifically, found that over 98% of fragrance chemicals either lack basic safety data or are classified as high or potentially high concern by scientific authorities.
    Rachel Treisman, NPR, 21 July 2025
  • That’s the unfortunate dual-use conundrum associated with contemporary AI, allowing AI to be used for goodness and also for badness (see my analysis of the dangers of dual-use AI at the link here).
    Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
Noun
  • While Sands needed just 19 pitches to cruise through the first two innings, Burrows had two Twins on base in the first inning, then hit a serious snag in the second.
    Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 12 July 2025
  • Gatling then lofted the ball a bit in front of Hines, who made a finger-tip snag as his momentum carried him out of the field of play.
    Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 11 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Pitfall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pitfall. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.

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