as in trapdoor
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Recent Examples of portcullis
The prior owner went all out on building a Medieval-style castle, with a moat, a drawbridge and a portcullis.
—
Katherine Clarke, WSJ, 3 Mar. 2022
Medieval amenities include a moat, two watchtowers and two gates, a drawbridge, an underground cave (complete with a Jacuzzi!), trap doors, and a genuine portcullis (a metal-and-wood gate typically seen in medieval fortresses).
—Mary Elizabeth Andriotis, House Beautiful, 20 Jan. 2022
Then Iraq’s new rulers lowered a paper portcullis, demanding fees and the completion of myriad forms.
—The Economist, 10 Apr. 2021
Pass beneath an imposing portcullis into Edinburgh Castle, home to the National War Museum and the 12th-century St. Margaret’s Chapel—believed to be the oldest building in Edinburgh.
—National Geographic, 12 June 2019
The front door is often guarded with a metal portcullis.
—Ruth Bloomfield, WSJ, 31 Aug. 2017
Katherine Clarke, WSJ, 3 Mar. 2022
Medieval amenities include a moat, two watchtowers and two gates, a drawbridge, an underground cave (complete with a Jacuzzi!), trap doors, and a genuine portcullis (a metal-and-wood gate typically seen in medieval fortresses).
—Mary Elizabeth Andriotis, House Beautiful, 20 Jan. 2022
Then Iraq’s new rulers lowered a paper portcullis, demanding fees and the completion of myriad forms.
—The Economist, 10 Apr. 2021
Pass beneath an imposing portcullis into Edinburgh Castle, home to the National War Museum and the 12th-century St. Margaret’s Chapel—believed to be the oldest building in Edinburgh.
—National Geographic, 12 June 2019
The front door is often guarded with a metal portcullis.
—Ruth Bloomfield, WSJ, 31 Aug. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portcullis
Noun
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Despite knowing of the dangers, Mendez, a native of the Dominican Republic, and her conspirators stored fentanyl and press machines beneath trapdoors under play mats and cribs, according to court records.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
3 Mar. 2025
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Surprisingly, Martin is not the first artist to fall through a trapdoor in recent weeks.—
Caroline Thayer,
Fox News,
4 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in 1648, the pure white marble facade with a 3D effect is known for its most intricate inlays and delicate lattices, representing the pinnacle of building design in the Indo-Mughal style.—
Shalbha Sarda,
Architectural Digest,
4 Mar. 2025
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The globe-spanning menu has something for everyone, including a sumptuous hot, or haute, chocolate freshly poured over a marshmallow cube and solid chocolate lattice, worth every penny of its $25 price tag.—
Lydia Price,
Travel + Leisure,
22 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The Raiders’ revolving door of a front office during this span also didn’t have a quarterback plan fully in place.—
Vincent Frank,
Forbes,
25 Jan. 2025
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Washington has not solved the problem of the revolving doors between Big Pharma and government regulators.—
David Marks,
Orlando Sentinel,
13 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Among the bowlers, Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav took two wickets each.—
Manasi Pathak,
Forbes,
10 Mar. 2025
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In addition to its win over New Zealand, the nation beat Bangladesh and Pakistan by six wickets in group play and then defeated Australia in the semifinals by four wickets.—
William Lambers,
Newsweek,
9 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Portcullis.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portcullis. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
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