ENGLISH
REFERENCE

fall into a trap

idiom
Meaning

To make a mistake, a bad decision or act senselessly and get into an extremely difficult situation.


Examples
SIMPLE

Be careful not to fall into a trap with that offer.

CONTEXTUAL

The salesperson sounded very convincing, but I realized I might fall into a trap if I signed the contract immediately.

COMPLEX

By accepting the initial terms without consulting a lawyer, the inexperienced investor inadvertently fell into a trap that would eventually cost him his entire savings.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    fall apart

    To be emotionally in crisis.

  2. 02

    fall around

    To fall over continually, especially through drunkenness, clumsiness, or incompetence.

  3. 03

    fall asleep

    To be affected by paresthesia; to go numb.

  4. 04

    fall at the last hurdle

    To fail near the end of an activity, a project, etc.

  5. 05

    fall behind

    To be late (for a regular event)

  6. 06

    fall between the cracks

    To wind up in an unexpected situation which is, inadvertently, invisible to or not handled by whatever process one had hoped to be subject to; to be overlooked.

  7. 07

    fall between two stools

    To fit into neither of two categories and, hence, be neglected or fail.

  8. 08

    fall by the wayside

    To fail to be completed, particularly for lack of interest; to be left out, to suffer from neglect.

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