death trap
nounDefinition of death trap
: a structure or situation that is potentially very dangerous to life
Examples of death trap in a Sentence
That old elevator is a death trap.
The factory was a death trap with too few exits for the workers to use in case of a fire.
Recent Examples on the Web
M-44s are horrific death traps full of cyanide that kill thousands of unsuspecting animals every year, even pets. — Sophie Lewis, CBS News, "Trump administration reauthorizes use of "cyanide bombs" to kill wild animals," 8 Aug. 2019 Prosecutors argued that the space was a death trap crammed with motor homes, antiques and artwork, and rooms were partitioned with flammable materials like tapestries, pianos and old windows. — Megan Cassidy, SFChronicle.com, "Ghost Ship trial: Testimony wraps up with defendant contradicting officer," 16 July 2019 In Virginia, flash flooding blamed on Alberto turned a peaceful creek into a roaring death trap as witnesses reported a man and woman were swept away when their car was washed off a road Wednesday night. — Washington Post, "Alberto begins to dissipate, leaving deaths, flooding behind," 2 June 2018 When winds changed the fire’s direction, the resort town of Mati became a death trap. — Nektaria Stamouli, WSJ, "As Greek Wildfire Death Toll Climbs, Government Takes Responsibility," 27 July 2018 One after another, police officials singled out fentanyl as a potential death trap not only for drug users but also for officers who could be exposed to it. — David Hernandez, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Use of drug that reverses overdoses to expand to police, school campuses," 11 June 2018 But the fire has also raised the specter that the occupations could be death traps, where squatters make improvised connections to electrical lines and do any maintenance themselves. — Sarah Dilorenzo, Fox News, "Fire in Sao Paulo squat shines light on housing shortage," 8 May 2018 Even if the other crew members did not get off the boat, and went to their deaths trapped in the boat, Sowden's team doesn't expect to excavate enough to find anything. — Chuck Yarborough, cleveland.com, "Lost for 189 years, has the Lake Serpent been found in Lake Erie? Dives this summer to confirm," 23 Apr. 2018 The prehistoric black ooze that still seeps from the ground was a sticky death trap for the massive mammals that once roamed here. — CBS News, "Subway construction unearths treasure trove of fossils from Los Angeles' prehistoric past," 22 Mar. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'death trap.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more