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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
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
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
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
See All Example Sentences for booby-trap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for booby-trap
Verb
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When drones attacked Saudi Aramco facilities in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia, in 2019, taking out 5% of the country’s oil production, prices spiked but surprisingly returned to normal within a matter of weeks.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
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The fight marks Strickland’s first bout since he was suspended from the UFC in July 2025 for attacking another fighter while working as a cornerman during an event.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Rio Tinto lost almost 2% after the multinational mining company suspended work at its Simandou iron-ore mine in Guinea following a fatality at the SimFer project late Sunday.—
Hugh Leask,
CNBC,
16 Feb. 2026
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What was once a gravel and sand mine is being reforested and turned into a sanctuary with quiet beaches and a pristine, spring water lake.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The only hitch was that these units were equipped with residential-sized kitchens, meaning limited counter space and small refrigerators and freezers.—
Jordan Bianchi,
New York Times,
12 Feb. 2026
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After months of premature right-wing panic about a performance full of anti-American messaging, the Bad Bunny Super Bowl halftime show went off without a hitch, making its critics seem desperate for a divisive news cycle that wasn’t really in the cards.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The war ended after NATO bombed Serbia for 78 days in 1999, eventually forcing it to pull out its troops from the territory.—
Zana Cimili,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2026
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The suspects who bombed the office of Alex Odeh have long been identified by the FBI, and while one was imprisoned for unrelated crimes, the other two have been living comfortably in Israel for many years.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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By 1999, the use, production and transport of antipersonnel land mines had been banned globally.—
Lizz Schumer,
PEOPLE,
29 Jan. 2026
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In Finland, talks with the domestic defense industry and anti-personnel land mine training for military personnel will start early this year.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Pressure has been mounting on Australia, the US, the UK and other countries to repatriate thousands of citizens, most of them women and children, who have been trapped in detention camps in Syria since the fall of the Caliphate more than five years ago.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
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Unlike some twill weave sheets that may trap heat, these are made with bamboo-viscose, a naturally cooling fabric.—
Jasmine Gomez,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
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However, adults 65 years and older and children younger than two are at higher risk of developing complications from the flu.—
Koko Nakajima,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
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There haven’t been any similar incidents recently, Azarcon said, but the Police Department wanted to draw attention to potential risks as graduation season nears.—
Alex Wigglesworth,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Early voting in DuPage County first opened on Tuesday of last week, after a delay caused by another snag.—
Asal Rezaei,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
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Reese Atwood with a nice snag at first.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Booby-trap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/booby-trap. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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