1
as in mines
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 risks
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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Recent Examples of booby traps
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
The movie’s biggest laughs come from Kevin’s hijinks, which involve setting up complex booby traps to fend off a pair of burglars targeting his family’s home.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 30 Jan. 2026
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
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
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
The movie’s biggest laughs come from Kevin’s hijinks, which involve setting up complex booby traps to fend off a pair of burglars targeting his family’s home.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 30 Jan. 2026
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for booby traps
Noun
-
The firm has mines in DR Congo, Mali, Tanzania, and Zambia.—
Jenny Vaughan,
semafor.com,
3 June 2026
-
The White House did not respond to a question about how many mines are believed to remain in Hormuz.—
Spencer Kimball,
CNBC,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Sewers can contain numerous hazards, including noxious and potentially deadly gases, unstable surfaces, flooding risks, and confined spaces.—
Brie Stimson,
FOXNews.com,
31 May 2026
-
These major crimes generally affect residents, according to experts, but that doesn’t mean visitors won’t face risks.—
Michael Rios,
CNN Money,
31 May 2026
Noun
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Tighter oversight of explosives The task force also called for tighter controls on the importation and regulation of fireworks and explosive materials.—
Daniel Lempres,
Sacbee.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The zombie commission was one of the final land mines Adams left behind for his successor.—
Josephine Stratman,
New York Daily News,
28 May 2026
-
Politics was the focus of the discussion, a topic that too often comes with land mines when two opposing views are on display.—
Denise Crosby,
Chicago Tribune,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
The incidents involving contact with chains, trailer hitches, poles, and curbs indicate recurring limitations in detecting smaller or irregular obstacles, especially during reversing maneuvers.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
16 May 2026
-
All three of these Yakima racks use trailer hitches for mounting, rather than suction, roof racks, or your rear door.—
Andrew P. Collins,
The Drive,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
The gold plates effortlessly glided through both my real hair and the clip-ins, straightening them evenly without any snags.—
Essence Wiley,
InStyle,
24 May 2026
-
Jessica Sanders, the executive director of Sacramento Tree Foundation, said stumps could be used as habitats for snags, owls or other wildlife.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
23 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Booby traps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/booby%20traps. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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