trip wire
noun
1
: a low-placed concealed wire used especially in warfare to trip an enemy or trespasser and usually to trigger an alarm or explosive device when moved
2
: something (such as a small military force) intended to function like a trip wire (as to set a larger military force in motion)
Examples of trip wire in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
No cutting-edge technology is without ethical trip wires.
—
Raghu Para, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
Voters have ideas Lawmakers are back in the Capitol this week with big ambitions, a messy calendar and a thousand potential trip wires, especially among Republicans who call the shots.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 24 Mar. 2025
This incredibly versatile kit includes over 25 separate activities to make essential spy gear like trip wires, voice changers, and motion sensors.
—Anja Webb, Parents, 6 Mar. 2025
Attached to the stake was a trip wire, and attached to the trip wire was, presumably, an OZM-72 antipersonnel mine.
—Michael Holtz, The New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trip wire
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Raghu Para, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
Voters have ideas Lawmakers are back in the Capitol this week with big ambitions, a messy calendar and a thousand potential trip wires, especially among Republicans who call the shots.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 24 Mar. 2025
This incredibly versatile kit includes over 25 separate activities to make essential spy gear like trip wires, voice changers, and motion sensors.
—Anja Webb, Parents, 6 Mar. 2025
Attached to the stake was a trip wire, and attached to the trip wire was, presumably, an OZM-72 antipersonnel mine.
—Michael Holtz, The New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trip wire
Cite this Entry
“Trip wire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trip%20wire. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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