booby-trap 1 of 2

verb

Definition of booby-trapnext
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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Relevance

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
Verb
So what is a modernist like Mayer, who made such cool craft of ancient stuff 20 years ago with Spring Awakening, to do with something as hokey and booby-trapped as Chess? — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Noun
Picture Indiana Jones swapping his fedora for a Han dynasty helmet, dodging booby traps in dusty Chinese tombs. — Urnesha Bhattacherjee, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Apr. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for booby-trap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for booby-trap
  1. attack
  2. mine
  3. hitch
  4. bomb
  5. land mine
  6. trap
  7. risk
  8. snag
Verb
  • Tzolis plays the pass and, because the Arsenal players are attacking the diagonal, there are a number of receivers available.
    — Jon Mackenzie, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • In perhaps the coolest reversal in the show thus far, the Lanterns are attacked with guns that produce darkness, which manifests here as smoke but prevents them from seeing or creating light constructs.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of attack
Noun
  • None of our cases, not mine, not anyone else's, have ever failed in court.
    — Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2026
  • There are also military capabilities there, including air defenses and mines buried underground.
    — Gabrielle Khoriaty, NBC news, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of mine
Noun
  • Swing trailer-hitch bike rack this summer and absolutely loved it.
    — Andrew P. Collins, The Drive, 3 Sep. 2026
  • All else went without a hitch at the show, which also featured a walk-on from crown holders from years past.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of hitch
Verb
  • Arriving promptly to her first day of rehearsal, Mona is nearly love-bombed by the Gen Z cast and crew.
    — Cortlyn Kelly, IndieWire, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Initially arriving from the west, from cities like Hamburg and Berlin that had already been bombed by the Allies, even more refugees poured in from the east in late 1944 and early 1945.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of bomb
Noun
  • Poy was wounded in a second land mine explosion that pierced his face and body with shrapnel and killed three of his colleagues.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026
  • More than any other sports league, the WNBA is fraught with land mines that are ready to explode whenever a Black woman — like, Alyssa Thomas — commits a hard foul on, say, the league’s most visible star, Caitlin Clark.
    — Candace Buckner, New York Times, 27 July 2026
Definition of land mine
Verb
  • Coxon argued that corporate competition has trapped labs in a hubristic race that forces them to build dangerous systems first.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Markets seem trapped in a cycle of Iran tensions leading to higher oil prices, which leads to stocks moving lower and ultimately inflation concerns rising.
    — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of trap
Noun
  • The risks were low, and yet Karyann is fast becoming famous for what came next.
    — Lenore Skenazy, Washington Post, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The expectation is that, with the SAFER barrier, cars will slide along it in an accident, reducing the risk of the car ending up bouncing back onto the racing line.
    — Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of risk
Noun
  • Many doves will land on a snag, look a field over and then trickle down.
    — Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 6 Sep. 2026
  • But the manufacturer hit an unfortunate snag early in the car’s production run that kept more than 100 Stingrays from ever hitting the road.
    — Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of snag

Browse Nearby Words

booby
booby-trap
booby trap
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Cite this Entry

“Booby-trap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/booby-trap. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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