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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
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Recent Examples of booby-trap
Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Eliana Dockterman, Time, 16 Oct. 2025
For a novice member of the field, the coolest details of the event doubled as booby traps.
—Gabby Herzig, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for 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
The Duffers add that one of the key inspirations for this season is Home Alone—specifically the booby traps.
—Eliana Dockterman, Time, 16 Oct. 2025
For a novice member of the field, the coolest details of the event doubled as booby traps.
—Gabby Herzig, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for booby-trap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for booby-trap
Verb
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In severe cases, the virus can attack parts of the brain that control basic life functions like eye movement, heart rate and blood pressure, causing permanent damage.—
Michal Ruprecht,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
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Ukraine's air force said that Russia attacked overnight with one ballistic missile and 146 strike drones, 103 of which were shot down or destroyed using electronic warfare.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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According to the International Energy Agency, recycling could reduce new mine development needs by 40% for copper and cobalt and by 25% for lithium and nickel by 2050.—
Kristen Edgreen Kaufman,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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In January, in the new year that still feels very much like the old, gunmen enter a coal mine near the town of Mach, Balochistan, and identify ten ethnic Hazaras.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The draft horse shows this week during the stock show’s 120th anniversary will include 15 six-horse hitches, or six horses pulling a wagon.—
Judith Kohler,
Denver Post,
24 Jan. 2026
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The same people saying this deal was done without a hitch on Wednesday night are the same people now chasing The News’ information that the power dynamic in the Giants’ organization is what created a delay here.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
17 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Iran attacked Al Udeid in June in response to Trump sending American warplanes to bomb Iranian nuclear enrichment sites during the war last year.—
Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
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Last June, after indirect nuclear negotiations collapsed, the United States joined Israel in a 12-day war with Iran, bombing three of the country’s key nuclear facilities.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Or how a British charity cleared 300,000 land mines left over from a civil war in Sri Lanka, foot by foot.—
David Pogue,
CBS News,
28 Dec. 2025
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Byrne’s brows immediately furrow, her face a map of emotional land mines.—
Angelica Jade Bastién,
Vulture,
19 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Consequently, those trapped either faced burning alive by the fire or death by bullets fired from the outside.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Some complained about getting trapped in the same cash-bail system that had ensnared Caldwell.—
Charles Duhigg,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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For example, states would be required to have agreements with the attorney general's office to share information about potential voter fraud or risk losing federal election funds in 2026.—
LISA MASCARO THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
30 Jan. 2026
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The results noted a significant increase in risk of major cardiovascular events, including a 29% higher likelihood of heart attack, 20% higher risk of stroke and twice the chances of cardiovascular death.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Long delayed by weather, the flight had overcome two last-minute snags caused by seemingly minor computer and weather problems.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
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Production snags have hampered the comeback bid, a disappointment for investors who anticipated more of a boost from new products.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Booby-trap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/booby-trap. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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