TRAPS Synonyms: 136 Similar and Opposite Words

traps 1 of 2

noun

Definition of traps

plural of trap

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

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

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

as in mouths

slang the opening through which food passes into the body of an animal shut your trap before someone belts you one!

Synonyms & Similar Words

traps

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of trap

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

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of traps

Noun

Once discarded, these traps also inadvertently capture birds and other wildlife. — Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 8 Oct. 2026 Of the coyotes, for example, 15,000 nationwide were killed by neck snares, 5,500 with foothold traps and 182 with cyanide capsules. — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2026 Police raided the network on July 8 and found about 50 cats and dozens of traps, state media reported. — ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026 Out in the garden, living butterflies flutter among orchids and flowering shrubs, some landing in butterfly traps hanging from the trees. — Sophie Neiman, Christian Science Monitor, 5 Oct. 2026 Ecolab uses sensors in dishwashers, pest traps and water systems to cut service visits and predict maintenance. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026 If explored further, this study could open a promising new pathway to global, large-scale clean energy storage by showing that naturally occurring hydrogen traps can double as high-capacity power banks. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 29 Sep. 2026 Growers commonly use sticky traps, often tapes or red spheres that resemble ripening apples, along with chemical or food-based lures, to attract adult flies. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Sep. 2026 The former—a dark blue microfiber on the outer part of the cloth—breaks up bigger pieces of grime, while the light blue microfiber on the inner part traps and absorbs dirt. — Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Sep. 2026

Verb

This loop traps us, backfilling saved time with even more low-value complexity rather than freeing up space for deep thinking. — Stephanie Kramer, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026 Once the festivities get rolling, though, ferociously bad weather rolls in and traps them there for the foreseeable future. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 9 Oct. 2026 During sunny and warm summer days, the atmosphere becomes incredibly stable, Macaday said, and in turn traps pollutants from car exhausts, ground-level ozone and pollen in the bowl. — Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 6 Oct. 2026 After all there’s nothing very funny about an incurable disease that traps you inside your body. — Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026 Harming any of these beings results in negative karma, which further traps souls in samsara. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Sep. 2026 Once the sunlight issue was resolved, the researchers faced radiation hurdles from the Van Allen belts created by the Earth’s magnetic field and which traps photons and electrons. — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 28 Sep. 2026 Avoid liquid fabric softener and dryer sheets when washing towels, as these products leave a coating that makes towels less absorbent and traps odor-causing bacteria in the fibers. — Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Sep. 2026 How else would Boyle set up the harrowing — and very clever — sequence in which Airi has to wake herself up before an evil force traps her in the spirit world forever? — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 23 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for traps

Noun

With roads around the hospital unsafe, transferring patients to other facilities was not an option in the first hours of the attack, while sending ambulances into the field risked exposing them to Hamas ambushes.

— Amelie Botbol, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Social Media Capture The underlying tactic is not new, with both Russian and Ukrainian forces having previously used armed FPV drones to conduct roadside ambushes.

— Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of ambushes

Noun

In Congo, where the outbreak has spread to seven provinces, responders have faced attacks on health teams, misinformation about the virus, a failure by locals to report symptoms and rebel violence that has limited access to treatment centers.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026
The question also raised the recent spread of controversies over individual films into attacks on cast and crew and campaigns to halt screenings.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of attacks

Noun

The brain’s surface has ridges and valleys, and CTE tangles are found in the depths of those valleys, called the cortical sulci, and surround blood vessels.

— Alexandra Pattillo, Scientific American, 23 Sep. 2026
Brushing controls shedding, removes debris and prevents tangles.

— Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of tangles

Verb

The hallmarks of the Navy Blue sound are present—barely-there snares keeping time in the distance, string samples melting into reflective puddles, overtones from resonant piano lines.

— Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 10 June 2026
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

Definition of snares

Noun

Most of these vessels are purse seiners or trawlers, which deploy vast nets to capture dense schools of fish.

— Ian Urbina, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
Fort Lauderlale’s popular south side beach area, where volleyball nets, grills and the annual Tortuga Music Festival usher in a steady mix of locals and visitors.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Sep. 2026