booby-trap 1 of 2

as in to attack
to place hidden explosive devices in or under booby-trapped the field bordering the army's camp

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booby trap

2 of 2

noun

1
as in mine
a usually concealed explosive device designed to go off when disturbed luckily, the bomb squad didn't find any booby traps

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2
as in hitch
a danger or difficulty that is hidden or not easily recognized he noticed the booby trap in the interviewer's question just a little too late

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of booby-trap
Noun
Jun-ho’s drone picks up on a door on the ground that turns out to be a booby trap that kills one person and injures another. Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 26 Dec. 2024 And that does not even consider the likelihood of a beacon which is also a booby trap. David Hambling, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2024 From guns to booby traps, Dutch leads the charge to take down the gnarly, terrifying looking alien. Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 28 Nov. 2024 Wary of booby traps and with evening closing in, the troops did not enter the building until the next day. James MacKenzie, Reuters, 18 Oct. 2024 See All Example Sentences for booby-trap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for booby-trap
Verb
  • For example, if China can pin down the United States in the Taiwan Strait, Russia and Iran may seize the moment to attack their neighbors.
    Mark Melton, National Review, 23 May 2025
  • There are several leaf spotting diseases that can attack hydrangeas.
    Janet B. Carson, Arkansas Online, 23 May 2025
Noun
  • Take the mine tour deep into the earth (but not that deep) at the Consolidated Gold Mine.
    John Archibald, Southern Living, 25 May 2025
  • The Kloof mine, which accounts for 14% of Sibanye's total gold output, also operates two other shafts.
    Reuters, FOXNews.com, 24 May 2025
Noun
  • The flight continues without a hitch, and Fielder attempts to open the lines of communication with his copilot, Aaron, by repeatedly asking him if everything is okay.
    EW.com, EW.com, 26 May 2025
  • The Foundation series Cybertruck includes Full Self Driving (an $8,000 value) and a trailer hitch.
    Brooke Crothers, Forbes.com, 26 May 2025
Verb
  • None of it happens if Torre doesn’t bomb the LSAT his senior year of college.
    Zak Keefer, New York Times, 30 May 2025
  • When the Japanese military bombed Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, Toguri was trapped with no identification to secure a passage home.
    Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2025
Noun
  • Listen to this Article The Trump administration, which has been moving like a juggernaut across the political landscape, has hit a land mine.
    Niall Stanage, The Hill, 15 Feb. 2025
  • Many land mines are visible to the naked eye, but others are more sophisticated and harder to detect.
    Ghaith Alsayed and Sally Abou Aljoud, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Not only is the traffic frustrating, but what happens in the event a tornado drops down on cars trapped in the line?
    Jim Clash, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
  • The wounded included four children, one of whom had been trapped beneath the vehicle with three adults.
    Kwiyeon Ha, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2025
Noun
  • Postal Service workers receive safety training to help minimize the risk of dangerous dog encounters.
    Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2025
  • The greatest storm coverage is expected from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. There is a moderate risk of life-threatening rip currents at all area beaches.
    Garfield Hylton, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 May 2025
Noun
  • Listen to this article Two and a half years after the vast majority of Denver voters approved an initiative requiring apartment buildings and restaurants to recycle and compost more of their waste, the city’s implementation of that mandate has hit another snag.
    Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 14 May 2025
  • The upholstery is of nice quality, too—no snags or sagging, at least at this point—and there’s some subtle variation in the coloring that adds a bit of depth (my bed features the Stone fabric, but bouclé is also available).
    Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 12 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Booby-trap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/booby-trap. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.

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