trapdoor
Americannoun
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a door flush with the surface of a floor, ceiling, or roof.
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the opening that it covers.
adjective
Etymology
Origin of trapdoor
First recorded in 1325–75, trapdoor is from Middle English trappe dore. See trap 1, door
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The loop has presented Clark with a trapdoor disguised as an exit.
From Salon • May 30, 2026
Since the peerless cup double in 2021, the Saintees have spent their recent campaigns circling around the dreaded play-off and relegation drain, before falling through the trapdoor.
From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026
The park, which closed in late December, contains games and rides that reference past MrBeast videos, such as a trapdoor tower and catapults.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 3, 2026
She knows the location of the hidden trapdoor that leads to the rafters of the arch above the nave.
From New York Times • May 6, 2024
The ground dropped away beneath his feet as if a trapdoor had opened.
From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
