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 Mitigating Cyber Business Risks In 2025 And Beyond Being aware of these pitfalls and understanding the basic steps businesses should take to avoid them is the first step to building resilience to cyber threats. Bernard Marr, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025 But Patel reckons movie and TV studios also need to be aware of potential pitfalls. Clifford Coonan, Variety, 18 Mar. 2025 Hiring veterans with clearances in place allows companies to fast-track onboarding and avoid compliance pitfalls. Emil Sayegh, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025 Another common pitfall is using dessert as a bribe. Sherri Gordon, Parents, 20 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
  • During his speech, Booker encouraged his fellow Democrats to work to protect vulnerable Americans from mass deportations and mass firings in federal agencies, threats to Medicaid, the implications of the ongoing trade wars and more.
    Madison E. Goldberg, People.com, 2 Apr. 2025
  • With no British troops on hand, Dunmore saw this threat as his only option to avert violence.
    Andrew Lawler, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The Board of Rites is tasked with making sure the ceremonies performed by the imperial nobles go off without a hitch, and its members have been dying throughout the series.
    Kayti Burt, Time, 2 Apr. 2025
  • All crowdfunding campaigns have an element of risk, but assuming this project goes without a hitch, shipping for backers is estimated to start from July.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 1 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The couple shared their shocking experience in a now-viral TikTok video, warning others about the dangers of unsafe food handling.
    Ashley Vega, People.com, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Aside from crime, the advisory spotlights the dangers around jet skiing and boating in the Bahamas, noting that the boating industry is not well regulated and some watercraft are not licensed, which has led to injury and death.
    Katie Nadworny, Travel + Leisure, 3 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • At varying points, Ukraine adopted parts of NATO warfighting strategy, only to run into snags or revert to the more familiar, Soviet-style tactics.
    Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2025
  • Yes, and: The budget, property tax relief and health care costs — all priority issues heading into session — are hitting snags that likely won't get worked out this week.
    Arika Herron, Axios, 24 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Pitfall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pitfall. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.

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