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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

Synonyms & Similar Words
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
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
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
  • Spain’s front men are difficult to ignore Despite only one attacking return, Lamine Yamal ($10m) is still Spain’s most exciting fantasy option.
    — Abdul Rehman, New York Times, 14 July 2026
  • The tourist who was attacked by a bison on Friday at Yellowstone National Park is recovering after being flung into the air.
    — Zoe Cummings, Washington Post, 13 July 2026
Definition of attack
Noun
  • The problem of Muse This week, Meta faced backlash after releasing a new AI model, Muse, which mines public Instagram feeds for images and videos.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 10 July 2026
  • With the central route through the strait uncrossable due to mines, ships have been using two other routes, the smaller northern route, which goes through Iranian waters, and the southern route, which goes through Omani waters.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 July 2026
Definition of mine
Noun
  • Before every project hits the factory floor, a computer analysis calculates every cut and sorts out unforeseen hitches that can bring traditional projects to a halt such as conflicts between plumbing lines and bearing walls, Glenn said.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
  • All six exterior colors are included in the price and a tow hitch comes standard.
    — Brooke Crothers, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
Definition of hitch
Verb
  • Things had improved since then, before spilling out into the open late last year when Saudi Arabia bombed a port in Yemen targeting a weapons shipment from the UAE.
    — Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 9 July 2026
  • The administration has since tried to bomb its way out of this war, but without the ability to hold territory, the United States is now merely depleting its stocks of expensive ordnance to little strategic effect.
    — Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
Definition of bomb
Noun
  • One image showing land mines was widely republished by Thai media outlets and bolstered Thailand's claims that Cambodia had laid new mines along the border that wounded patrolling Thai soldiers.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 June 2026
  • The younger Modrić’s childhood home in the village of Jasenice was abandoned and remains so to this day, with signs warning visitors of land mines in the area.
    — Sanat Pai Raikar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 June 2026
Definition of land mine
Verb
  • What to read next Within one lunar week (which is roughly seven months on Earth), over half the methane was trapped at the moon's cold polar areas, with a whopping 42% of the substance trapped at the south pole compared to 12% at the north pole.
    — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 14 July 2026
  • The film follows a man trapped inside a bar, where reality begins to unravel in increasingly disturbing ways.
    — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 14 July 2026
Definition of trap
Noun
  • Many who rely on copper-wire landlines live in remote rural areas, but some also live in the hills and canyons of major metro areas like Los Angeles, where cell and internet service is patchy and the risk of natural disasters is high.
    — Jenny Jarvie Follow, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
  • The goal is to improve inspection quality while reducing the risks associated with labor-intensive maintenance work.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 July 2026
Definition of risk
Noun
  • Even if today’s flight had hit snags, China still has other reusable rockets waiting in the wings.
    — Lee Billings, Scientific American, 10 July 2026
  • But the county ran into significant snags on its portion, including a costly and prolonged environmental impact study required for federal funding.
    — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 8 July 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 15 Jul. 2026.

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