1
: trap entry 1, snare
specifically
: a pit flimsily covered or camouflaged and used to capture and hold animals or people
2
: a hidden or not easily recognized danger or difficulty
Examples of pitfall in a Sentence
buying a house can be full of pitfalls for the unwary
one of the pitfalls of ignorance is that people will also assume you're stupid
Recent Examples on the Web
However, there are certain pitfalls to avoid in order to use and scale technology in the right manner:
• Simulation must not be implemented in silos; rather, it should be tightly integrated with design, testing and manufacturing.
—
Ajay Parihar, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
The Red Sox bullpen held serve and was able to avoid some potentially dangerous pitfalls.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 20 May 2025
Blending all the pitfalls of high school life with the occasional dip-in from the spirit world, Sabrina broke free from a certain kind of multi-camera restriction to offer up a comedy that was timeless for more reasons than the immortality of its characters.
41.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 20 May 2025
The challenges the company faces to keep its status as a tech pioneer… and the pitfalls of getting in the game too late.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for pitfall
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Ajay Parihar, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
The Red Sox bullpen held serve and was able to avoid some potentially dangerous pitfalls.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 20 May 2025
Blending all the pitfalls of high school life with the occasional dip-in from the spirit world, Sabrina broke free from a certain kind of multi-camera restriction to offer up a comedy that was timeless for more reasons than the immortality of its characters.
41.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 20 May 2025
The challenges the company faces to keep its status as a tech pioneer… and the pitfalls of getting in the game too late.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for pitfall
Cite this Entry
“Pitfall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pitfall. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pitfall
noun
pit·fall
ˈpit-ˌfȯl 
1
: trap entry 1 sense 1, snare
especially
: a covered or camouflaged pit used to capture animals or people
2
: a danger or difficulty that is hidden or is not easily recognized
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