booby-trap 1 of 2

as in to attack
to place hidden explosive devices in or under booby-trapped the field bordering the army's camp

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booby trap

2 of 2

noun

1
as in mine
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 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

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of booby-trap
Noun
Jun-ho’s drone picks up on a door on the ground that turns out to be a booby trap that kills one person and injures another. Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 26 Dec. 2024 And that does not even consider the likelihood of a beacon which is also a booby trap. David Hambling, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2024 From guns to booby traps, Dutch leads the charge to take down the gnarly, terrifying looking alien. Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 28 Nov. 2024 Wary of booby traps and with evening closing in, the troops did not enter the building until the next day. James MacKenzie, Reuters, 18 Oct. 2024 See All Example Sentences for booby-trap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for booby-trap
Verb
  • In June, a woman defaced a Pilsen mural at 16th Street and Ashland Avenue and was accused of attacking another woman who tried to stop her.
    Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 22 July 2025
  • Amorim needs a mobile centre forward capable of attacking open space at speed and offering a threat in quick transition.
    Graham Ruthven, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025
Noun
  • In addition to producing a large percentage of rare earths in its own mines, China holds a dominant position in the refining and processing of the minerals and manufacturing of the magnets from which they are made.
    David Blackmon, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025
  • For this year, the firm's analysts expect global copper mine output to rise by 2.5% year over year in 2025, supported by recovering production in Chile and the ongoing ramp-up at the Oyu Tolgoi mine in Mongolia.
    Victor Loh,Amala Balakrishner, CNBC, 10 July 2025
Noun
  • This is the latest hitch on the tour for an artist known for pulling off tours without even the suggestion of a problem.
    Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 15 July 2025
  • Thanks to that, the surprise went off without a hitch.
    Tereza Shkurtaj, People.com, 13 July 2025
Verb
  • Trump’s decision to bomb Iran, after all, happened without forewarning for his allies.
    Garret Martin, The Conversation, 15 July 2025
  • Initially considered a frontrunner in the competition, both as a fierce competitor and a shady schemer, the Texas titan returned for the semifinals last week as a shell of her former self, bombing Snatch Game and having to lip sync for her life.
    Andy Swift, TVLine, 11 July 2025
Noun
  • Finland’s parliament voted overwhelmingly to pull out of a major international treaty on antipersonnel land mines Thursday as the Nordic country seeks to boost its defenses against an increasingly assertive Russia next door.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2025
  • Artem lost his leg when a land mine exploded on the front lines in Kharkiv.
    ABC News, ABC News, 8 June 2025
Verb
  • If you are trapped by moving water, move to the highest possible point and call 911 if possible.
    STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT Updated July 14, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 July 2025
  • Officers and firefighters were dispatched to the 400 block of North Nettleton Street around 4 p.m. Sunday after reports of a house fire with people trapped inside.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 14 July 2025
Noun
  • By reducing the size and scope of the agency -- now leaving it with about half of its staff -- experts and advocates tell ABC News that disadvantaged students are at risk.
    Arthur Jones II, ABC News, 15 July 2025
  • But the number ticking up will add to the Fed's concerns about the inflationary risks of a cut.
    Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 July 2025
Noun
  • While Sands needed just 19 pitches to cruise through the first two innings, Burrows had two Twins on base in the first inning, then hit a serious snag in the second.
    Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 12 July 2025
  • Gatling then lofted the ball a bit in front of Hines, who made a finger-tip snag as his momentum carried him out of the field of play.
    Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 11 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Booby-trap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/booby-trap. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.

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