as in trapdoor
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Recent Examples of portcullis
The prior owner went all out on building a Medieval-style castle, with a moat, a drawbridge and a portcullis.
—
Katherine Clarke, WSJ, 3 Mar. 2022
Medieval amenities include a moat, two watchtowers and two gates, a drawbridge, an underground cave (complete with a Jacuzzi!), trap doors, and a genuine portcullis (a metal-and-wood gate typically seen in medieval fortresses).
—Mary Elizabeth Andriotis, House Beautiful, 20 Jan. 2022
Then Iraq’s new rulers lowered a paper portcullis, demanding fees and the completion of myriad forms.
—The Economist, 10 Apr. 2021
Pass beneath an imposing portcullis into Edinburgh Castle, home to the National War Museum and the 12th-century St. Margaret’s Chapel—believed to be the oldest building in Edinburgh.
—National Geographic, 12 June 2019
The front door is often guarded with a metal portcullis.
—Ruth Bloomfield, WSJ, 31 Aug. 2017
Katherine Clarke, WSJ, 3 Mar. 2022
Medieval amenities include a moat, two watchtowers and two gates, a drawbridge, an underground cave (complete with a Jacuzzi!), trap doors, and a genuine portcullis (a metal-and-wood gate typically seen in medieval fortresses).
—Mary Elizabeth Andriotis, House Beautiful, 20 Jan. 2022
Then Iraq’s new rulers lowered a paper portcullis, demanding fees and the completion of myriad forms.
—The Economist, 10 Apr. 2021
Pass beneath an imposing portcullis into Edinburgh Castle, home to the National War Museum and the 12th-century St. Margaret’s Chapel—believed to be the oldest building in Edinburgh.
—National Geographic, 12 June 2019
The front door is often guarded with a metal portcullis.
—Ruth Bloomfield, WSJ, 31 Aug. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portcullis
Noun
-
Lifting culture, too, has its trapdoors back into disordered thinking.—
Julie Beck,
The Atlantic,
3 July 2025
-
Scientists dug around the trapdoor to catch the bristly animal — and discovered a new species.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
27 May 2025
Noun
-
The setup at the 18th-century venue featured yachting décor with pink and green lattice, banquettes, and mahogany bars with light bites and cocktails.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
People.com,
7 July 2025
-
Start with a repeating arrangement of points in space, called a lattice.—
Joseph Howlett,
Quanta Magazine,
7 July 2025
Noun
-
At the same time, the revolving door between activist nonprofits and government agencies is raising serious ethical and legal questions.—
Dan Eberhart,
Forbes.com,
22 June 2025
-
Between the revolving door of coaches and the roster upheaval this season, the Rangers have been anything but stable.—
Arthur Staple,
New York Times,
2 May 2025
Noun
-
Another highlight is that morning session at Edgbaston, when England lost two wickets in consecutive balls to be five down, and Jamie Smith came in and hit a century before lunch.—
The Athletic UK Staff,
New York Times,
8 July 2025
-
When the Australian bowler Mitchell Starc claimed an English wicket with the very first ball of the match, the commentator’s contagious enthusiasm inspired him to film his own reenactment of the call.—
Don Riddell,
CNN Money,
27 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Portcullis.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portcullis. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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