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
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
28 June 2026
The traps are placed where wasps like to congregate but away from wasp nests themselves and areas of human activity.
—
Nadia Hassani,
The Spruce,
28 June 2026
Camilo Montoya-Galvez,
CBS News,
30 June 2026
International teams have continued to flood into the country in recent days to boost the search efforts, with the critical 72-hour window for rescuing people still trapped beneath the rubble having passed.
—
Chantal Da Silva,
NBC news,
30 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for trap
Noun
Commercial shipping companies are also caught in a trap.
—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
28 June 2026
The traps are placed where wasps like to congregate but away from wasp nests themselves and areas of human activity.
—
Nadia Hassani,
The Spruce,
28 June 2026
Verb
As night fell on Monday, teams tried to rescue a security guard who had been trapped for five days.
—
Camilo Montoya-Galvez,
CBS News,
30 June 2026
International teams have continued to flood into the country in recent days to boost the search efforts, with the critical 72-hour window for rescuing people still trapped beneath the rubble having passed.
—
Chantal Da Silva,
NBC news,
30 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for trap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trap
Noun
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Dallas Police Association President Sean Pease says as Dallas prepares to honor the five officers killed in the July 7, 2016, ambush, City Hall should also remember the officers and employees still serving.
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Require early disclosure of proposals and nominations, which kills the ambush.
Noun
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The British Army also provided protection from attacks by Native American tribes, giving many settlers little reason to support a rebellion.
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Twice in recent days, the United States has launched retaliatory strikes on Iran following drone attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
Noun
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They’re immediately pulled into a tangle of police reports, hospital notifications, insurance calls, and legal questions that can feel impossible to sort through while grieving.
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Richie Laryea for Canada burst into the box in a good position but was brought to ground amid a tangle of legs with South Africa’s Khuliso Mudau.
Noun
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Her boyfriend tried to get her out of the alligator’s mouth, officials said.
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Four meals a day, and 61 mouths to feed.
Verb
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Ultimately, neither British nor American intelligence could prove that the Russians intended to use Keeler to entrap Profumo.
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The Grimm Brothers fairy tale follows a pair of famished siblings who get lost in the woods and entrapped by a child-eating witch, after stumbling upon her cottage made of candy.
Verb
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Video of the incident showed the professor grabbing and twisting the arm of the pro-Palestinian student.
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As police tried to handcuff Sever, the Westmoreland County District Attorney's Office said Sever swung at troopers and forcefully grabbed at a trooper's duty weapon, which was secured in a holster.
Noun
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So, bringing the expressive pads allowed people to experiment with making music by sliding their fingers across them, putting a snare in the middle and a rim shot around the edges.
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Jacob The Lion ALEX BRACZKOWSKI Rescued from a poacher's snare in 2019.
Noun
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Old school computer gamers will be intimately familiar with the dungeon crawler genre, popularized by games like Wizardry and Eye of the Beholder, which involves moving in first-person on a grid, taking on monsters, finding treasure and delving deeper into a labyrinth.
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Under the streets of Paris, a 75-mile labyrinth of pipes is at work trying to keep the parts of the city cool.
Cite this Entry
“Trap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trap. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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