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

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as in tangles

something that catches and holds the promotion is really just a trap to keep her from taking a new job elsewhere

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as in mouths

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

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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

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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

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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

Sticky traps with dead insects on them were seen under dry storage area and on the side of a deep freezer. — Rashad Alexander, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2026 These traps kill rats, but also gather information about movements and population sizes, according to the health district. — Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 16 Oct. 2026 Destructive storms like Hurricane Milton in 2024, which made landfall on Florida’s west coast at Siesta Key, can destroy traps, make the water murky and otherwise cause complications for fishermen. — Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026 The snack bag’s silica gel packet gave him the idea for DryOut, a multilayer material that pulls water away from a device, absorbs and traps it, then lets moisture evaporate when exposed to sunlight so it can be reused. — Hannah Singleton, Time, 15 Oct. 2026 Traditional blade-style traps deliver strong performance but require manual assembly, making consistent reproduction difficult. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 13 Oct. 2026 These early fishers used a variety of methods to catch tuna, including hook and line, harpoons, and traps or nets. — Torben Rick, The Conversation, 12 Oct. 2026 At 72, Bill Von Herbulis doesn’t let life in a wheelchair keep him from fishing and working his crab traps daily at the marina near his Florida home. — Natasha Holt, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026 Once discarded, these traps also inadvertently capture birds and other wildlife. — Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 8 Oct. 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

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

Verb

Nope, the Crimson Tide would most likely be on the outside looking in, while someone else from the SEC grabs their spot in the postseason.

— Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026
The suspect runs inside, grabs rolls of lottery tickets, stuffs them into a bag and runs out.

— Tara Lynch, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of grabs

Noun

In years past, families would have been pulling nets and carrying salmon to their smokehouses.

— Annika Hammerschlag, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
By 3,000 years ago, a commercial Atlantic bluefin tuna fishery had formed in the Mediterranean, with large-scale trade and specialized nets and traps.

— Torben Rick, The Conversation, 12 Oct. 2026