Cheese often lures a mouse into a trap.
Source: tatoeba (40276)
Trap
/tɹæp/
Synonyms for "trap" (282 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (57)
Strong matches (84)
Noun(22 words)
Verb(12 words)
Related words (141)
Verb(12 words)
imprisoninterceptintrigueinveigleinveiglementjawjawsjohn lawjokerjowljowlskeepkisserlandlassolimelintellipsloadedlock
Show 77 more words
lurelurking holemachinationmandiblesmaneuvermawmaxillameshminemiremole trapmousetrapmouthmugmushmuzzlenailnetnooseoral cavitypaddypeelerpitfallplotploypolicepolicemanporchportalporte cochereposternpremaxillapropylaeumpylonrattraproperowrusesackscuttleseduceseducementset gunshadowingside doorsnagsnaresnarlsnigglespearspread the toilsspring gunspringestalestalking horsestalking-horsestilestonestorm doorstratagemsubterfugesurveillancetaketangletangle up withtemptationthresholdtollgatetrap doortrapfalltricktripturnpiketurnstilewilewindyap
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: ambush, snare, allure, allurement, ambuscade.
- Sentence evidence is available for trap, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "trap".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "trap"
Keep "trap" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "trap" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "trap", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "trap" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
33 entriesShowing 16 of 33 words.
More specific
16 entriesCollocations
8 entriesInflections
3 entriesDerivations
6 entriesTranslations
78 translations across 40 languages.
Arabic
2 entries- فخ noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
- فَخّ noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
Armenian
2 entries- ծուղակ noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
- որոգայթ noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
Bulgarian
2 entries- капа́н noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
- сифо́н noun (bend, sag, or other device in a waste-pipe to prevent the escape of noxious gases)
Catalan
3 entries- parany noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
- sifó noun (bend, sag, or other device in a waste-pipe to prevent the escape of noxious gases)
- trampa noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
Chinese Mandarin
2 entries- 圈套 noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
- 陷阱 noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
Czech
2 entries- sifon noun (bend, sag, or other device in a waste-pipe to prevent the escape of noxious gases)
- zápachová uzávěrka noun (bend, sag, or other device in a waste-pipe to prevent the escape of noxious gases)
Danish
1 entries- vandlås noun (bend, sag, or other device in a waste-pipe to prevent the escape of noxious gases)
Dutch
3 entries- val noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
- waterslot noun (bend, sag, or other device in a waste-pipe to prevent the escape of noxious gases)
- zwanenhals noun (bend, sag, or other device in a waste-pipe to prevent the escape of noxious gases)
Estonian
1 entries- lõks noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
Finnish
4 entries- ansa noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
- hajulukko noun (bend, sag, or other device in a waste-pipe to prevent the escape of noxious gases)
- heitin noun (device used to hold and suddenly release an object)
- koppi noun (device used to hold and suddenly release an object)
French
4 entries- piège noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
- siphon noun (bend, sag, or other device in a waste-pipe to prevent the escape of noxious gases)
- souricière noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
- traquenard noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
German
3 entries- Falle noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
- Geruchsverschluss noun (bend, sag, or other device in a waste-pipe to prevent the escape of noxious gases)
- Siphon noun (bend, sag, or other device in a waste-pipe to prevent the escape of noxious gases)
Greek
3 entries- παγίδα noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
- παγίδα noun (device used to hold and suddenly release an object)
- σιφώνι noun (bend, sag, or other device in a waste-pipe to prevent the escape of noxious gases)
Hungarian
4 entries- bűzelzáró noun (bend, sag, or other device in a waste-pipe to prevent the escape of noxious gases)
- csapda noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
- hajítógép noun (device used to hold and suddenly release an object)
- szifon noun (bend, sag, or other device in a waste-pipe to prevent the escape of noxious gases)
Irish
1 entries- dol noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
Italian
2 entries- tranello noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
- trappola noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
Japanese
1 entries- 罠 noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
Khiamniungan Naga
1 entries- vēuháutsīe noun (a type of trap to catch birds using bait with adjustable loop)
Latin
1 entries- rēte noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
Macedonian
1 entries- стапица noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
Malayalam
1 entries- കെണി noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
Middle English
1 entries- trappe noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
Māori
1 entries- pehipehi noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
Ngazidja Comorian
1 entries- mgala noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
Norwegian Bokmål
1 entries- vannlås noun (bend, sag, or other device in a waste-pipe to prevent the escape of noxious gases)
Norwegian Nynorsk
1 entries- vasslås noun (bend, sag, or other device in a waste-pipe to prevent the escape of noxious gases)
Old English
1 entries- fealle noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
Ottoman Turkish
2 entries- طوزاق noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
- قپان noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
Polish
3 entries- pułapka noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
- syfon noun (bend, sag, or other device in a waste-pipe to prevent the escape of noxious gases)
- zasadzka noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
Portuguese
4 entries- arapuca noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
- armadilha noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
- cilada noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
- sifão noun (bend, sag, or other device in a waste-pipe to prevent the escape of noxious gases)
Romanian
1 entries- capcană noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
Russian
4 entries- западня́ noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
- капка́н noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
- лову́шка noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
- сифо́н noun (bend, sag, or other device in a waste-pipe to prevent the escape of noxious gases)
Scottish Gaelic
1 entries- ribe noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
Slovak
1 entries- pasca noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
Spanish
4 entries- sifa noun (bend, sag, or other device in a waste-pipe to prevent the escape of noxious gases)
- sifón noun (bend, sag, or other device in a waste-pipe to prevent the escape of noxious gases)
- trampa noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
- trampucheta noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
Swahili
1 entries- mtego noun (device used to hold and suddenly release an object)
Swedish
2 entries- fälla noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
- vattenlås noun (bend, sag, or other device in a waste-pipe to prevent the escape of noxious gases)
Tamil
1 entries- வலை noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
Tarifit
1 entries- anday noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
Walloon
1 entries- atrape noun (trick or arrangement designed to catch someone in a more general sense)
Sample sentences
70 total sentences available.
The old man freed the little fox from the trap.
Source: tatoeba (43372)
"Watch out for the trap!" she screamed.
Source: tatoeba (73509)
We set a trap to catch a fox.
Source: tatoeba (248653)
Showing 4 of 70 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "trap"?
Closest matches include ambush, snare, allure, allurement, ambuscade.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "trap"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.