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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of trap
Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic, 25 Feb. 2025
Workers began finding the wild salmon, caught downstream in rotary screw traps, earlier this month.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacramento Bee, 25 Feb. 2025
Ca Weather Bot, Sacramento Bee, 3 Mar. 2025
Hoover vacuums can be as light as 5 pounds or less (in the case of handhelds) or as heavy as 20 pounds in the case of uprights.
Filtration
Hoover vacuums typically use one or two filters to keep allergens trapped inside rather than sent back into the air.
—Bestreviews, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trap
Noun
Palace set traps and, on one occasion, invited the ball to John McGinn.
—Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic, 25 Feb. 2025
Workers began finding the wild salmon, caught downstream in rotary screw traps, earlier this month.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacramento Bee, 25 Feb. 2025
Verb
If you are trapped by moving water, move to the highest possible point and call 911 if possible.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacramento Bee, 3 Mar. 2025
Hoover vacuums can be as light as 5 pounds or less (in the case of handhelds) or as heavy as 20 pounds in the case of uprights.
Filtration
Hoover vacuums typically use one or two filters to keep allergens trapped inside rather than sent back into the air.
—Bestreviews, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trap
Noun
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After a 40-bank robbing spree, the saga of South Florida’s most infamous gangsters ended with a midnight police ambush on a bridge over Sebastian Inlet that left Ashley and his cohorts dead.—
Phillip Valys,
Sun Sentinel,
1 Mar. 2025
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Infuriated by the Oct 7, 2023, ambush, prosecutors say, Czuba directed his anger and his bigotry at the kindergartner and his mother, Hanan Shaheen, who are Muslims of Palestinian descent.—
Michelle Mullins,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Focus on your waist, not just your weight As the size of a person’s belly grows, studies show the memory center of the brain shrinks and hallmark signs of Alzheimer’s disease can appear — namely beta-amyloid plaques and tau tangles.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN,
25 Feb. 2025
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Unwinding the tangle of sanctions — as well as countermeasures enacted by the Russian government — would be a long and complicated process.—
Patricia Cohen,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Yet, he wasn’t born with a silver spoon in his mouth.—
Court Stroud,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
-
Take deep, slow breaths through the nose and out through the mouth.—
Lana Barhum,
Verywell Health,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
In the initial announcement about the plan to vacate the convictions of felons entrapped by crack-selling stings in Broward County, the convicts were told not to contact the State Attorney's Office or the Broward Sheriff's Office.—
Rafael Olmeda,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Jan. 2025
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His playbook of operations was called the Trout Memo – after the fly-fishing technique designed to entrap trout.—
Mike O'Sullivan,
Forbes,
17 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Tari Eason scored 14 points and Dillon Brooks added 12. Sabonis’ injury Sabonis grabbed his left hamstring while running the floor just over a minute into the game.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacramento Bee,
2 Mar. 2025
-
Lozano exited the match in the 28th minute after appearing to grab his left hamstring.—
Ryan Finley,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The snare sound, for example, was the thin, ticky-ticky style originally popularized in hip-hop recordings, instead of Nir Z’s thicker snare pops.—
Tom Roland,
Billboard,
29 Jan. 2025
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Four tenors, four snares and two bass have been ordered through Axel Johnson.—
Contributed Content,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
Noun
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According to the Lee County Sheriff's Office, about 5:15 p.m. Monday, deputies responded to the area's Valley community for a report of a dog attack.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA TODAY,
1 Mar. 2025
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Hamas started the war with its Oct. 7, 2023, attack that left 1,200 dead in Israel, mostly civilians, and took some 250 hostage.—
Samy Magdy and David Rising,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Meanwhile, Mark is determined to solve the Gemma/Miss Casey question and rescue either or both of them (preferably both) from the labyrinth of Lumen's corridors and conference rooms.—
Tom Gliatto,
People.com,
15 Jan. 2025
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Is this a burgeoning love affair or just another con job stacked on top of a labyrinth of deceptions?—
Jordan Crucchiola,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Trap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trap. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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