booby trap
noun
1
: a trap for the unwary or unsuspecting : pitfall
2
: a concealed explosive device contrived to go off when some harmless-looking object is touched
Examples of booby trap in a Sentence
Someone had rigged a booby trap that blew up the car when the engine was started.
We set a booby trap by balancing a bucket of water on top of the door so that it would fall on him when he came in.
Recent Examples on the Web
In the days leading up to the attack, Ghazali allegedly rigged his truck with booby traps, fireworks, explosives, and large amounts of gasoline.
—
Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 30 Mar. 2026
The movie’s biggest laughs come from Kevin’s hijinks, which involve setting up complex booby traps to fend off a pair of burglars targeting his family’s home.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 30 Jan. 2026
Their 2025-26 season has been littered with injury landmines and other booby traps hidden in the walls of Ball Arena.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 30 Jan. 2026
Deputies said during the initial call that neighbors had reported gunshots being fired and that a second caller, who claimed to have fired the gun, had placed booby traps around a home in the Kavala Ranch development.
—Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for booby trap
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.
Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 30 Mar. 2026
The movie’s biggest laughs come from Kevin’s hijinks, which involve setting up complex booby traps to fend off a pair of burglars targeting his family’s home.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 30 Jan. 2026
Their 2025-26 season has been littered with injury landmines and other booby traps hidden in the walls of Ball Arena.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 30 Jan. 2026
Deputies said during the initial call that neighbors had reported gunshots being fired and that a second caller, who claimed to have fired the gun, had placed booby traps around a home in the Kavala Ranch development.
—Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for booby trap
Cite this Entry
“Booby trap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/booby%20trap. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
