1
as in ambush
a device or scheme for capturing another by surprise
undercover agents devised a trap to catch the counterfeiters a bear trap
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2
as in ambushment
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
3
as in tangle
something that catches and holds
the promotion is really just a trap to keep her from taking a new job elsewhere
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to tangle
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
2
as in to grab
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
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Recent Examples of trap
Martha Ross, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2025
Tradition is both a source of security and a pacifying trap today.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025
Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2025
But most of the gases beneath the volcano at Yellowstone are not trapped, emerging through geothermal features at Yellowstone’s surface.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trap
Noun
Arakawa and Hackman were seemingly aware of the infestation because traps had been set up around the property, TMZ said.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2025
Tradition is both a source of security and a pacifying trap today.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
The ribbons trap the fruity dressing but aren’t overly saturated.
—Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2025
But most of the gases beneath the volcano at Yellowstone are not trapped, emerging through geothermal features at Yellowstone’s surface.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trap
Noun
-
In addition to witnessing bloodshed as a soldier and a journalist, Godwin has also lost his eldest sister, Jain, who was killed along with her fiancé and their best man in an army ambush in 1978, just weeks before her wedding.—
Dina Gachman,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2025
-
The first-half ambush was the best show of the beautiful game yet from the expansion club, rewarding folks who wanted a Major League Soccer team in San Diego.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The possible legal tangle between Minnesota and the Trump administration mirrors a similar situation between the administration and Maine, whose leaders have also refused to follow Trump’s anti-trans sports order.—
Abby Monteil,
Them.,
23 Apr. 2025
-
Bateman and his team had been studying tau tangles, the abnormal clumps of protein that form inside the neurons of people with Alzheimer's.—
Jon Hamilton,
NPR,
2 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The health of the person In adults, signs of poisoning can include pins and needles sensations (typically in your hands, feet, and around your mouth); loss of coordination; loss of peripheral vision; speech, hearing, and walking impairments; and muscle weakness, according to the EPA.—
Caroline Tien,
SELF,
22 Apr. 2025
-
Instead, their mouth parts are made for primarily sucking on plant sap.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
22 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Gabi and Robinson head to the diner to entrap Maggie with yet another plate of cheese fries.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
4 Mar. 2025
-
Edward tentatively goes into another room and returns naked save for the mask entrapping his face.—
Angelica Jade Bastién,
Vulture,
12 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Antetokounmpo finished the game by scoring 36 points, grabbing 13 rebounds, and blocking two shots.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Apr. 2025
-
So grab a pencil, a few colors or a coloring book and enjoy your boosted brain power.—
Ann Kowal Smith,
Forbes.com,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The movie’s pivot to vampires is a supernatural vision of the real-life snares set for great Black musicians.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2025
-
Hungry Lion Records grants him the space to do so with an almost-morose mixture of trap snares and synths that invites listeners to focus on his soul-baring lyrics.—
Kyle Denis,
Billboard,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
In March, two days of U.S. attacks killed more than 50 people, Houthi officials said.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
-
Another suspect, Jamison Wagner of New Mexico, faces federal charges in connection with two separate arson attacks on a Tesla dealership and the Republican Party's state headquarters in Albuquerque, according to court documents unsealed this week.—
Alexander Mallin,
ABC News,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
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In the United States alone, navigating the labyrinth of healthcare administrative tasks costs up to $265 billion annually, according to a 2023 McKinsey analysis.—
Jacob Miller,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
-
The 100-acre resort has a 45,000-square-foot waterpark with a labyrinth of waterslides.—
Jacqui Gifford,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Trap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trap. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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