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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
Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 3 Sep. 2025
These may show up in Ukraine before long, perhaps walking ahead of patrols to find booby traps and clear routes through minefields, or taking bullets to expose enemy firing position.
—David Hambling, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for booby-trap
Noun
Tourists and anyone else who dared come to the place would have to circumnavigate snipers perched in watchtowers, booby traps, and roaming guard dogs.
—Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 3 Sep. 2025
These may show up in Ukraine before long, perhaps walking ahead of patrols to find booby traps and clear routes through minefields, or taking bullets to expose enemy firing position.
—David Hambling, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for booby-trap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for booby-trap
Verb
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Vinicius Jr also thrived in the Italian’s counter-attacking tactical setup, which was designed at least in part to suit his pace and direct running, and delivered the club’s two most recent Champions League trophies in 2022 and 2024.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
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The only thing that carries any water is making up something to attack Gretchen.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Howard’s literature classes, like mine at roughly the same time, had yet to be overtaken by critical theory, but were under the sway of what was called New Criticism.—
Michael Gorra,
The Atlantic,
4 Nov. 2025
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Recently, Swift has been seen pairing the old mine cut ring with fall ensembles.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Head coach Kevin Young replaced Mark Pope without a hitch last year, and the Cougars have headliner status with the addition of AJ Dybantsa.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
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Many have had the wheels or hitches removed years ago.—
Cassie Powell,
The Conversation,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Residents have been forced to eat animal food and hides as community kitchens are bombed.—
NPR,
NPR,
4 Nov. 2025
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An art conservator who'd prefer to be immersed in detail work, Sarah is bombing as the host of a dinner party where her entrepreneur husband (Tom Riley) hopes to impress an obnoxious prospective investor (Tom Goodman-Hill) when a literal explosive goes off in her neighborhood.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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During the dictatorships after World War II, the natural barrier of the Accursed Mountains was fortified, set about with land mines, and patrolled, effectively isolating the stronghold of Albania from the rest of the world.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Oct. 2025
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If Hamas fails to disarm, that will give Netanyahu an excuse to restart the war and avoid all the political land mines that the next phases present him.—
Thomas L. Friedman,
Mercury News,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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When vacuuming, don’t forget small spaces under the oven, between the counter and fridge, and areas under furniture that are likely to trap dirt.—
Kelsey Mulvey,
Southern Living,
31 Oct. 2025
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An early freeze had trapped them in an icebound lagoon four miles short of open water.—
Virginia Chamlee,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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About 400 staff positions across the KC-area Head Start sites are also at risk if the sites close permanently, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said earlier this month.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
31 Oct. 2025
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The risk of sabotaging commercial success evidently didn’t deter her.—
Amy Weiss-Meyer,
The Atlantic,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Below, snag must-have savings before the sale ends on October 29.—
Rachel Trujillo,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
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The Miami Hurricanes hit their first snag of the season with their upset loss to the Louisville Cardinals on Friday.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Booby-trap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/booby-trap. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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