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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
Justin Dunnavant, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2025
Some enterprising Viet Cong had defused this and turned into a booby trap detonatable by wires from brush a few hundred feet away.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 27 July 2025
The trailer teases the film’s July release with action, booby traps, and terrified faces.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2025
Last month gangs burned or confiscated at least a half-dozen armored carriers belonging to the police and the mission after setting booby traps and catching cops off guard.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for booby-trap
Noun
Colonial militias attempted periodic raids, but historical records report that they were met with rugged terrain, booby traps and counterattacks.
—Justin Dunnavant, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2025
Some enterprising Viet Cong had defused this and turned into a booby trap detonatable by wires from brush a few hundred feet away.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 27 July 2025
The trailer teases the film’s July release with action, booby traps, and terrified faces.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2025
Last month gangs burned or confiscated at least a half-dozen armored carriers belonging to the police and the mission after setting booby traps and catching cops off guard.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for booby-trap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for booby-trap
Verb
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In the hands of editor Richard Mettler, some of those fragments serve montages that interlace how the tribes prepare to defend themselves with the way Jalabzeen readies himself to attack.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
2 Oct. 2025
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Having attacked the edge of the six-yard box, Rodon has to back-pedal and meet the ball, again, wide of the goal.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Companies built railroads to connect the region to the national market, developed industrial coal mines and reshaped the central Appalachian economy.—
The Conversation,
The Conversation,
7 Oct. 2025
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The road would also cross 11 rivers and thousands of streams before reaching the site of a future mine.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
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No concerns are raised, and the scheme goes off without a hitch.—
Andrew Bernard,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Oct. 2025
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The cozy farming simulator’s color visuals looked excellent, without a single performance hitch.—
Zackery Cuevas,
PC Magazine,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Trump has also ordered Israel to stop bombing Gaza.—
SAM MEDNICK,
Arkansas Online,
5 Oct. 2025
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After being heavily bombed in WWII, Birmingham is building a better future out of concrete and steel.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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There are different ways to demine territory, from using dogs to sniff out land mines to sappers—combat engineers focusing on clearing mines—manually working their way through an area, or operators remotely controlling large demining machines.—
Ellie Cook,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Aug. 2025
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In the rather chaotic encounter with journalists in the Oval Office, both Trump and Zelensky avoided stepping on any rhetorical land mines.—
Ben Wedeman,
CNN Money,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
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If trapped by moving water, seek the highest possible point and contact emergency services by calling 911.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Oct. 2025
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Many moths, attracted to the ultraviolet lights, were captured during a light-trapping excursion near Malles Venosta, Italy.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Providing fiber for digestion, there’s fresh broccoli along with antioxidants to help reduce the risk of certain cancers.—
Susan Selasky,
Freep.com,
4 Oct. 2025
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MacLean added that Venezuelans with TPS who are currently in custody and lack any other form of protection will now face a serious risk of deportation.—
Syra Ortiz Blanes,
Miami Herald,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
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However, there remain several potential snags.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
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This isn't the first time the snag of a home run ball has topped headlines this season.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
25 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Booby-trap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/booby-trap. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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