TRAPS Synonyms: 136 Similar and Opposite Words

traps 1 of 2

noun

plural of trap

as in ambushes

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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Relevance

as in ambushments

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

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as in tangles

something that catches and holds the promotion is really just a trap to keep her from taking a new job elsewhere

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as in mouths

slang the opening through which food passes into the body of an animal shut your trap before someone belts you one!

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traps

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of trap

as in snares

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

as in grabs

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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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 traps

Noun

Yet deliberate hot war still ranks as the least likely of the five traps, because nuclear arsenals and deep commercial ties make escalation catastrophically expensive for both governments. —

Newsweek Editors, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2026 This disposable hanging bag traps moisture, preventing stale, musty smells and leading to fresher air. —

Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 13 May 2026

Verb

Their daughter, Rose, traps them in her dolls. —

George Yang, PC Magazine, 1 May 2026 Methane, which traps 86 times more heat than carbon dioxide over a 20 year time frame, accounts for more than half of meat and dairy’s climate pollution. —

Simmone Shah, Time, 23 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for traps

Recent Examples of Synonyms for traps

Noun

Even in areas not under its direct control, the widespread sympathy in rural areas allows JNIM to set up ambushes along the main roads and dominate the main supply routes into the capitals, especially in Mali.

— Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 10 May 2026
Service members could face ambushes en route, and specialized units would need to extract the uranium.

— Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2026