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
To avoid these pitfalls, companies need to treat office redesign as a change management project—not just a facilities project.
—
Ryan Anderson, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
The pandemic exposed the pitfalls of American reliance on Chinese factories for an array of goods, from parts for ventilators to basic medicines.
—Peter S. Goodman, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
However, the potential, and sometimes hilarious, pitfalls of not having the correct address were also pointed out.
—David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Apr. 2025
So What’s the Endgame? To be sure, the potential pitfalls presented here are all worst-case scenarios.
—Josef Adalian, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pitfall
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Ryan Anderson, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
The pandemic exposed the pitfalls of American reliance on Chinese factories for an array of goods, from parts for ventilators to basic medicines.
—Peter S. Goodman, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
However, the potential, and sometimes hilarious, pitfalls of not having the correct address were also pointed out.
—David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Apr. 2025
So What’s the Endgame? To be sure, the potential pitfalls presented here are all worst-case scenarios.
—Josef Adalian, Vulture, 10 Apr. 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 23 Apr. 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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