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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of trap
Brad Dokken, Twin Cities, 14 June 2025
Read Next World Rangers open trap in Australia — and find ‘unexpected’ creature inside.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 12 June 2025
Sara Schilling, Sacbee.com, 17 June 2025
Contributor Nick Mafi uses it in his space and loves its four-layer filtration system to trap 99.999% of bacteria and debris.
—Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for trap
Noun
About that time, the cub that was in the trap decided to break free.
—Brad Dokken, Twin Cities, 14 June 2025
Read Next World Rangers open trap in Australia — and find ‘unexpected’ creature inside.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 12 June 2025
Verb
Read Next National Man trapped in frigid river calls for help before ‘selfless’ rescue, AK cops say
June 2, 2025 8:50 AM
Read Next
National
Hiker is swept away after fall into rushing creek, MT rescuers say.
—Sara Schilling, Sacbee.com, 17 June 2025
Contributor Nick Mafi uses it in his space and loves its four-layer filtration system to trap 99.999% of bacteria and debris.
—Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for trap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trap
Noun
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Also watch out for ambush drones parked by the side of the road, which take off when a target approached.—
David Hambling,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
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But in South Africa, the two leaders’ reaction to their Oval Office ambush served as a remarkable public display of a new era in the country’s politics, one marked by solidarity and compromise.—
Kate Bartlett,
Christian Science Monitor,
9 June 2025
Noun
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Taking inspiration from the CAR T-cell technology used to provide personalized cancer treatments, researchers have conducted a proof-of-concept study showing how similar compounds can precisely target protein tangles and plaques in the brain.—
Michael Franco,
New Atlas,
12 June 2025
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To get started, take care of the tangles throughout your hair strands.—
Catharine Malzahn,
Glamour,
11 June 2025
Noun
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Agnes has a gawky, floppy-haired beauty, a gently appraising stare, quizzically arching eyebrows, and a tendency to listen with her mouth half open, as if in anticipation of a punch line that will take her, and us, by surprise.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
20 June 2025
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Right as Elio opens his mouth to respond, the scene cuts, and the credits return.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
20 June 2025
Verb
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Most horror flicks entrap their characters in one location or put them in some sort of unique, tense situation (think: satanic possession, or pissing off the wrong truck driver, attracting the wrong person, etc.), but in Final Destination, Death works with the great mundane canvas of ordinary life.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
16 May 2025
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Early motherhood entraps them—and their children—in a bleak socioeconomic cycle that’s almost impossible to break.—
Elise Taylor,
Vogue,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
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In the few months since its launch, JD.com has grabbed 7.5% of China’s food-delivery market after its daily meal orders reached 20 million on May 13, according to a May 14 research note from Blue Lotus Capital Advisors.—
Yue Wang,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
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In Monday night’s first quarter after falling to the court, Haliburton winced and grabbed his lower right leg.—
Shakeia Taylor,
New York Times,
17 June 2025
Noun
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Beyond that, apex scavengers are sometimes killed accidentally—hyenas and lions can get caught in wire snares meant for herbivores in Africa.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
18 June 2025
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Immediately, the divine collides with the inane, and Goddess runs into a fundamental dramatic snare.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
21 May 2025
Noun
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This is essential to stop further erosion of the rule of law, the attack on democracy, and the threat of authoritarianism.—
Mark A. Cohen,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
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Even after that, Microsoft refused to take full responsibility and hasn’t done enough to prevent future attacks.—
Jovante Teague,
Sun Sentinel,
17 June 2025
Noun
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Instead, consumers could face a labyrinth of tedious forms and dense legalese, draining their time and wallets.—
Ivan Guzenko,
Forbes.com,
16 June 2025
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The series follows Ged, first to the School of Magic, on the Island of Roke, then through a dark labyrinth and into death itself.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
11 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Trap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trap. Accessed 27 Jun. 2025.
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