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
When two bumbling thieves (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern) attempt to rob his home, Kevin begins an elaborately violent, slapstick battle of wits via booby traps involving a tarantula, paint buckets, and flamethrowers.
—
Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
While claims of booby traps and rivers of mercury would likely make anyone think twice about entering the tomb, this is not the main barrier to full excavation.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 25 Dec. 2025
In the original Home Alone, Kevin is forced to defend him home from two bumbling burglars by setting various booby traps around the house.
—Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 21 Dec. 2025
Left to fend for himself in Chicago, Kevin gets into hijinks, including elaborate booby traps to fend off a pair of intruders who try to rob his home.
—Francesca Gariano, PEOPLE, 21 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for booby trap
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Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
While claims of booby traps and rivers of mercury would likely make anyone think twice about entering the tomb, this is not the main barrier to full excavation.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 25 Dec. 2025
In the original Home Alone, Kevin is forced to defend him home from two bumbling burglars by setting various booby traps around the house.
—Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 21 Dec. 2025
Left to fend for himself in Chicago, Kevin gets into hijinks, including elaborate booby traps to fend off a pair of intruders who try to rob his home.
—Francesca Gariano, PEOPLE, 21 Dec. 2025
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 2 Jan. 2026.
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