1
as in risk
a danger or difficulty that is hidden or not easily recognized buying a house can be full of pitfalls for the unwary

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2
as in threat
something that may cause injury or harm one of the pitfalls of ignorance is that people will also assume you're stupid

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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 pitfall Economists have warned against falling into the same pitfall as the Smoot-Hawley Act of 1930, when Congress slapped tariffs on all countries that shipped goods to America in an effort to shield US workers. Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 8 Apr. 2025 More: What is generative AI? Benefits, pitfalls and how to use it in your day-to-day. Laila Kearney, USA Today, 7 Apr. 2025 Photo: Courtesy of the Woolmark Prize Marc Jacobs and Dries Van Noten alum Meryll Rogge delivered a compelling case for herself during a presentation that spelled out both the pitfalls and promise of building an independent brand. Luke Leitch, Vogue, 2 Apr. 2025 One way to avoid this pitfall is to set the story thousands of miles away, far from the homeland, in one of the many Iranian diaspora communities that flourish worldwide. Porochista Khakpour, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pitfall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pitfall
Noun
  • The country could be at risk of losing its elimination status if an outbreak continued for more than one year.
    Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 11 Apr. 2025
  • Key challenges, like the risk of exacerbating inequality if access is limited to the rich and the significant energy demands, will need to be addressed.
    Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Critics of Cambodia’s rulers are framed as threats to peace and unity.
    Sophal Ear, The Conversation, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Combs had offered up to $50 million to wait for his trial from his home on Star Island, but prosecutors insisted the musician was a threat to witnesses and victims.
    Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The night’s crossing of the Athina went off without a hitch, and Captain Hallax arrived home the next morning.
    Silvana Paternostro Nathalia Angarita, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
  • Despite these concerns, the plan went off without a hitch.
    Ashley Vega, People.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The Arkansas Forestry Division listed wildfire danger in Benton County, and all other counties in the state, as low as of 8:40 a.m. Monday.
    NWA Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 14 Apr. 2025
  • This behavior mimics their wild ancestors, who would ambush prey from above or perch in trees to avoid danger.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Repair kits are a simple way to patch snags and rips, but replacing a screen can be a better long-term solution.
    Cody Godwin, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2025
  • The big picture: The council's vote threw a last-minute snag into a plan, years in the making, to centrally organize St. Paul's garbage collection, with a single hauler handling most of the work.
    Kyle Stokes, Axios, 31 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Pitfall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pitfall. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

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