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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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Two people came out of a nearby apartment and attacked the agent with a snow shovel and broom handle, federal authorities say.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
16 Jan. 2026
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The outlet also said that Rezaei maintained that Iran would abandon any notion of a ceasefire if attacked.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Buchloh’s best essays romp through the history of genres—the female nude, the family portrait, the history painting, the Romantic landscape—to show how Richter’s work mines the past for the future.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
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The plan, recently approved by the PUC, includes phasing out all the company’s coal plants and providing compensation for communities that have been home to coal plants and mines for decades.—
Judith Kohler,
Denver Post,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Over the next several months, the Gutierrezes watched as new roofs were installed without a hitch on almost all their neighbors’ homes, even some homes insured by State Farm.—
J.C. Hallman,
Oklahoma Watch,
13 Jan. 2026
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These are the senses that allow Wembanyama to roll his ankles on crossovers without a hitch.—
Jared Weiss,
New York Times,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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During the 12 Day War in Iran, when Evin Prison was bombed, some prisoners got free.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Jan. 2026
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Also, bombing South America and killing civilians.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
21 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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At the landfill site dozens of rescuers scrambled overnight in search of people trapped.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
9 Jan. 2026
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How much is a trapping license in Kentucky?—
Hannah Pinski,
Louisville Courier Journal,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The robots handle precise positioning, reduce the risk of door damage, and allow vehicles to be parked closer together.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Jan. 2026
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On one hand, artificial intelligence is rapidly improving cybersecurity defense technologies, but AI is also equipping cybercriminals with sophisticated tools and creating new risks.—
Dawn Giel,Contessa Brewer,
CNBC,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
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But barring an unexpected snag in negotiations, the Giants are primed to land a coach who made a dozen postseason appearances and won 180 regular-season games in Baltimore.—
Dianna Russini,
New York Times,
15 Jan. 2026
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But efforts to champion tenant protections hit a major snag Tuesday when a controversial rent control proposal died in the Assembly Judiciary Committee.—
CalMatters,
Oc Register,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Booby-trap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/booby-trap. Accessed 23 Jan. 2026.
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