pitfall

noun

pit·​fall ˈpit-ˌfȯl 

1

: trap entry 1, snare

specifically : a pit flimsily covered or camouflaged and used to capture and hold animals or people

2

: a hidden or not easily recognized danger or difficulty

Synonyms

• booby trap
• catch
• catch-22
• gimmick
• gotcha
• hitch
• joker
• land mine
• snag

Examples of pitfall in a Sentence

buying a house can be full of pitfalls for the unwary

one of the pitfalls of ignorance is that people will also assume you're stupid

Recent Examples on the Web

Medicare coverage could be another pitfall for seniors whose benefit checks are subject to the 100% clawback, experts said. —Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 10 Mar. 2025

Where Communication Breaks Down One of the biggest pitfalls in the co-op governance model is the lack of unified messaging between the G&T and local co-ops. —Marcus Squier, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025

There’s pitfalls all over the place in college basketball now. —Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2025

Every once in a while, a pitfall of community theater is glimpsed, but only momentarily, and here the heartfelt sense of fun overcomes any little shortcoming. —Matthew J. Palm, Orlando Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for pitfall

• aldol
• armhole
• atoll
• awol
• backhaul
• banal
• baseball
• befall
• cabal
• catchall
• cecal
• centrale

Kids Definition

pitfall

noun

pit·​fall ˈpit-ˌfȯl 

1

: trap entry 1 sense 1, snare

especially : a covered or camouflaged pit used to capture animals or people

2

: a danger or difficulty that is hidden or is not easily recognized