1
as in ambushes
a device or scheme for capturing another by surprise
undercover agents devised a trap to catch the counterfeiters a bear trap
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in tangles
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 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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of traps
Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Mar. 2026
International tourists are ditching the cookie-cutter sightseeing traps and hunting down places with soul—spots that feel lived-in, local, and layered with meaning.
—Jessica Binns, Sourcing Journal, 18 Mar. 2026
Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 1 Mar. 2026
The microfiber head traps dust and dirt to minimize debris that falls to the floor.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for traps
Noun
Terri Maguire, maintenance manager with Van Slyke Landscape, also suggested being very careful with maintenance products and chemicals like fertilizers as well as traps and bait for what people consider pests.
—Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Mar. 2026
International tourists are ditching the cookie-cutter sightseeing traps and hunting down places with soul—spots that feel lived-in, local, and layered with meaning.
—Jessica Binns, Sourcing Journal, 18 Mar. 2026
Verb
When a storm traps everyone inside, Hannah must find the culprit before the road clears and the killer escapes.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 1 Mar. 2026
The microfiber head traps dust and dirt to minimize debris that falls to the floor.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for traps
Recent Examples of Synonyms for traps
Noun
-
Service members could face ambushes en route, and specialized units would need to extract the uranium.—
Jonathan Lemire,
The Atlantic,
1 Apr. 2026
-
In the months before the surge in operations, police lost 25 armored vehicles to ambushes involving barricades, trenches and Molotov cocktail attacks, authorities said.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
To him, the vision seemed right — not in the specific locations activated by various themes but in the sense that our neuroanatomy did seem to parse the world by subject, tangles and folds of neurons lighting up in response to clouds of ideas.—
Eric Boodman,
Vulture,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Chapek’s woes as Disney chief have been well documented, from his tangles in Florida to an ugly public spat with Scarlett Johansson to alienating top executives by removing creative decision-making authority in a hugely unpopular restructuring.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Misguidedly shoving as many Peeps as possible into our mouths.—
Anna Grace Lee,
Vogue,
30 Mar. 2026
-
In all instances, people are often oblivious about the state of their mouths.—
Harriette Cole,
Mercury News,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Hair snares use tape and wire to collect DNA and other data by collecting a sample of wild animal hair when creatures pass by, according to Popular Science.—
Gabrielle Rockson,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Maybe Deandre Ayton snares his first signature Lakers moment.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Chibale grabs a chemistry book off the shelf in his office and riffles through a parade of molecules — each one like an old friend.—
Ari Daniel,
NPR,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Afterward the man with the shotgun points it inside the truck’s cabin and the passenger grabs its barrel, the video shows.—
Dennis Romero,
NBC news,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
According to the independent National Institute for Security Studies in Israel, at least 1,116 people have been killed amid the Israeli attacks in Lebanon since the parallel Iran war began.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has its own navy that also relies on smaller vessels to do swarm attacks and drop mines.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Comparative studies across countries have shown that high trust societies have longer life expectancies, lower rates of anxiety and depression, maintain stronger safety nets and health care systems which support population health.—
Dr. Howard A. Selinger,
Hartford Courant,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Ukraine has draped nets over many of the roads vital for logistics.—
Brynn Tannehill,
The Atlantic,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This superb thriller about an obsessed fan (Kathy Bates) who rescues, and then entraps, a best-selling author (James Caan) still stands as an edge-of-your-seat experience.—
Julie Hinds,
Freep.com,
15 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Traps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/traps. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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