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Glite Dictionary
reverse trap

reverse trap

9.1
A trick that backfires and harms the person who set it
  • noun
  • Informal
translation icon : trampa inversa
  • She set a reverse trap for her rival, but it ended up backfiring on her instead.

Examples

  • Writing that clause into the contract was a reverse trap for anyone not paying close attention.

  • The detective avoided the reverse trap by thinking two steps ahead of the criminals.

  • The politician fell into a reverse trap during the debate.

  • Did she set a reverse trap for her opponent?

  • The scheme she devised was a reverse trap that ultimately harmed her more than her intended target.

  • He realized too late that his clever plan had turned into a reverse trap, ensnaring him in his own deceit.

  • The unexpected consequences created a reverse trap for the CEO, as his actions backfired on the company.

Synonyms

undoing
vsreverse trap
20 4.9

A cause of someone's failure or ruin

is an unexpected backfire that ensnares and hurts the original instigator

How Harmful

disaster
∞ 1.0
reverse trap
  • Informal
9.1
pitfall
35 4.8
trap
752 2.0

Surface Forms

reverse trap singular
reverse traps plural

Morphology

reverse + trap

The meaning 'a trap that backfires or ensnares the instigator' is directly compositional: 'reverse' (opposite/backwards) modifies 'trap' (a device or setup to catch), yielding a trap that works in the opposite way. This modifier-noun combination follows a regular English pattern and is readily inferable by a B1 learner who knows both words.

Etymology

Reverse trap comes from the image of a trap working in reverse, so it turns back and catches the person who set it. That's why it means a plan or situation that 'backfires' and 'catches' the original maker.