trap
trap — noun
1. An object or hole designed to catch and hold an animal so it cannot get away.
An object or hole designed to catch and hold an animal so it cannot get away.
The hunter checked his traps every morning before sunrise.
collocation: check a trap / set a trap
A rabbit had fallen into the trap that Karim set near the river.
Modern traps are designed to catch animals without hurting them.
collocation: catch animals in a trap
The forest ranger showed the students how a leg-hold trap works.
compound noun: leg-hold trap
Farmers lay traps in the fields to protect their crops from wild pigs.
- set a trap
- check a trap
- fall into a trap
- lay a trap
- leg-hold trap
- bear trap
2. A scenario that looks good at first but brings danger once you get involved.
A scenario that looks good at first but brings danger once you get involved.
The job offer turned out to be a trap for anyone with large debts.
collocation: be a trap / fall into a trap
Mayumi warned her brother not to walk into the stranger's trap.
Buying that cheap phone was a trap — it stopped working after one week.
The police set a trap for the thief by leaving an unlocked car on the street.
collocation: set a trap for [someone]
Many young drivers fall into the trap of driving too fast on wet roads.
- fall into a trap
- set a trap
- walk into a trap
- lay a trap
- a trap for [someone]
- trap of [doing something]
- escape
successfully avoiding a dangerous situation
Common Mistakes
3. A person's mouth, especially when talking too much or saying something inappropr
A person's mouth, especially when talking too much or saying something inappropriate.
The comedian told the loud man to keep his trap shut during the show.
idiom: keep your trap shut
Every time Otis opens his trap, he says something embarrassing.
The boy's mother told him to shut his trap and finish his dinner.
idiom: shut your trap
During the team meeting, Lucía told Jude to shut her trap before he upset another client.
- keep your trap shut
- shut your trap
- open your trap
- mouth
neutral term; trap is slang
Usage Note
Only used in informal speech. Common in fixed phrases like 'keep your trap shut' or 'shut your trap.' Very rude in polite company.
Common Mistakes
4. A light vehicle with two wheels that is pulled by a single horse.
A light vehicle with two wheels that is pulled by a single horse.
The museum has a wooden trap used by farmers in the eighteen hundreds.
historical: two-wheeled horse-drawn vehicle
Zola drove the trap through the village to deliver fresh bread to customers.
The old photograph showed a trap parked in front of a country inn.
A single horse can pull a small trap for short trips into town.
- drive a trap
- wooden trap
- horse-drawn trap
- light trap
- carriage
general term for horse-drawn vehicles; trap is a specific light, two-wheeled type
Usage Note
This sense is historical and rarely used in modern English, except in historical fiction or museum descriptions.
5. An American football play where one defensive player runs through the line and i
An American football play where one defensive player runs through the line and is pushed sideways, opening a path for the runner.
The coach called a trap play to take advantage of the defense's speed.
American football: trap play
The defensive end ran straight into the trap and the running back broke free.
Justin watched the game film to understand how the trap works against a strong line.
A well-executed trap can create a big opening for the ball carrier.
- trap play
- run a trap
- call a trap
- trap block
Usage Note
This term is specific to American football and will not be understood in most other English-speaking contexts.
6. A style of hip-hop music that features heavy bass, fast hi-hat rhythms, and lyri
A style of hip-hop music that features heavy bass, fast hi-hat rhythms, and lyrics about street life.
Lan listens to trap music when she goes running at the park.
music genre: trap / trap music
The concert mixed trap beats with old-school hip-hop rhythms.
Yael played a trap track at the party and the guests started bouncing to the heavy bass.
Hari's playlist includes trap, reggaeton, and electronic dance music.
- trap music
- trap beat
- trap artist
- trap producer
7. A sandy hollow built into a golf course as an obstacle for players.
A sandy hollow built into a golf course as an obstacle for players.
Esteban's ball landed in a deep sand trap near the green.
golf: sand trap / bunker
It took Élise three swings to get the ball out of the trap.
The golf course has sixteen sand traps along the fairway.
Mira practiced hitting from the trap every day before the competition.
- sand trap
- hit out of a trap
- land in a trap
- bunker
- bunker
used especially in British English; sand trap is more common in American English
8. A mechanical device that throws clay discs into the air as targets for trapshoot
A mechanical device that throws clay discs into the air as targets for trapshooting.
The trapshooting competition uses a mechanical trap to launch clay targets.
trapshooting: mechanical trap
Caio loaded the trap and stepped back before calling for the clay pigeon.
The old trap at the shooting range broke after a thousand throws.
Nkechi adjusted the angle of the trap to send the targets higher into the air.
- load a trap
- mechanical trap
- trapshooting trap
- clay pigeon trap
- clay pigeon machine
more descriptive; less common in practice
Usage Note
This sense is limited to the sport of trapshooting. The device is also simply called a 'trap' in this context.
To start doing something that seems helpful or right but actually causes problems.
Many students fall into the trap of studying all night before an exam without sleeping.
walk into a trap
idiomTo enter a situation that has been set up to harm you.
The general knew his soldiers would walk into a trap if they took the road through the valley.
spring a trap
idiomTo cause a trap to close suddenly, usually to catch an animal.
The hunter carefully set the net, ready to spring the trap.
Did you see the mouse spring the trap last night?
To make or avoid making a common mistake that seems good at first.
Maya fell into the trap of checking her phone every five minutes.
To avoid the trap of overthinking, Brian wrote down his ideas quickly.
trap — verb
1. To capture a wild animal using a device designed for this purpose.
To capture a wild animal using a device designed for this purpose.
The villagers used nets to trap fish in the shallow river.
transitive: trap [animal] with [device]
Karim learned how to trap rabbits from his grandfather in the mountains.
The park rangers trapped the bear and moved it to a forest far away.
Faisal trapped an injured fox near the creek and carried it to the wildlife hospital.
- trap with nets
- trap animals
- trap fish
- trap rabbits
- catch
general term; trap specifically means using a device
- release
setting an animal free
Grammar Patterns
trap + animal
2. To prevent heat, water, air, or another substance from escaping from a space.
To prevent heat, water, air, or another substance from escaping from a space.
The thick curtains trap heat inside the room during cold winter nights.
collocation: trap heat / trap moisture
A layer of plastic traps moisture under the soil to keep plants healthy.
The car windows trap the sun's warmth on a clear autumn day.
These new bottles are designed to trap carbon dioxide so the drink stays fizzy.
- trap heat
- trap moisture
- trap air
- trap gas
- trap warmth
Grammar Patterns
trap + heat/moisture/gas/substance
3. To become confined somewhere and unable to leave.
To become confined somewhere and unable to leave.
Justin was trapped in the elevator for two hours before the fire crew arrived.
passive: be trapped in [place]
The little cat was trapped under the old wooden deck all night.
Heavy snowfall trapped the travelers inside the mountain cabin for three days.
active: [force] traps [person] in [place]
Zola felt trapped in a job that gave her no chance to learn new skills.
The miners were trapped underground when the tunnel collapsed after the explosion.
- trapped in
- trapped under
- trapped inside
- trapped by
- feel trapped
- free
able to move or leave
Grammar Patterns
be trapped in [place]
be trapped under [object]
trap [someone/something] in/under [place/object]
Usage Note
This sense is most commonly used in the passive form ('be trapped'). The active form ('The fire trapped them') is also correct but less frequent.
Common Mistakes
4. To force someone into an action they would avoid by using lies or strong pressur
To force someone into an action they would avoid by using lies or strong pressure.
The salesman trapped Mayumi into signing a contract she did not understand.
pattern: trap [someone] into [doing something]
The children were trapped into cleaning the garage by a promise of pizza.
Lan felt trapped into agreeing because everyone else had already said yes.
Online scammers trapped Otis into giving them his bank account details.
- trap into agreeing
- trap into signing
- trap into giving
- feel trapped into
- be trapped into
- trick
emphasizes deception; trap suggests the result is harder to escape
- manipulate
more formal; suggests ongoing influence, not a single event
Grammar Patterns
trap [someone] into [doing something]
Usage Note
Always followed by 'into + verb-ing.' The person being trapped may not realize what is happening until later.
Common Mistakes
5. In soccer, to receive a moving ball and make it stop close to your body with you
In soccer, to receive a moving ball and make it stop close to your body with your feet, chest, or thigh.
The midfielder trapped the ball with his chest and passed to the striker.
soccer: trap the ball with [body part]
Hari trapped the high ball perfectly on his left foot.
The striker trapped a long pass from the defender and scored the winning goal.
Learning to trap the ball properly is one of the first skills in soccer.
- trap the ball
- trap with the chest
- trap on the foot
- trap a pass
- control
general term; trap specifically refers to stopping a moving ball with feet or body
Grammar Patterns
trap + the ball + with + body part
Word family
- trappernounB2
- trappingnounB2
- entrapverbC1
- entrapmentnounC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/2
All four words describe situations that catch someone by surprise, but they differ in how the danger is set up. A 'trap' (noun/2) is a situation deliberately arranged to harm or deceive someone — like a financial offer that seems too good to be true. A 'snare' also implies deliberate deception, often using something attractive as bait. 'Pitfall' is different: it describes a hidden danger in a process or plan that was not deliberately set, such as common mistakes learners make. 'Ambush' is more violent and sudden, used literally for military attacks or figuratively for aggressive questioning. For example: 'The job ad was a trap for people with poor credit.' 'The test had many pitfalls for careless students.' 'The politician faced an ambush from reporters at the press conference.'
Common collocations
Etymology
The word 'trap' comes from Old English 'træppe,' meaning a snare or pit for catching animals. This word traces back to a Germanic root connected to 'step' or 'tread' — early traps were often triggered when an animal stepped on them. The figurative meaning (a tricky or dangerous situation) appeared in the 1300s. The slang use for 'mouth' dates from the 1700s. The music genre name 'trap' emerged in the 1990s in the Southern United States, taken from slang for places where illegal drugs were sold. The golf term 'sand trap' comes from the early 1900s.