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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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On Thursday, Iran’s new Supreme Leader said that his country would keep closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane through which about a fifth of the world’s oil flows, and more vessels in the Persian Gulf were attacked, including two oil tankers that were set ablaze off the coast of Iraq.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
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Iran attacked two oil tankers off the coast of Iraq overnight, setting them ablaze.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Asbille's character reportedly died of cancer, which is believed to be connected to a toxic waste dump located near a mine on the Broken Rock Reservation.—
Haadiza Ogwude,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
8 Mar. 2026
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The development of the vehicles is part of a larger trend in which robotic vehicles are being used to tackle tasks that endanger humans, such as the autonomous electric coal-mining trucks released last year in Mongolia, and the mine-clearing robots made by Croatian firm, DOK-ING.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
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An underslung spare wheel holder and Cruisemaster DO35 articulating hitch are standard, and optional upgrades include an airbag suspension and rear recovery points.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
6 Mar. 2026
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The hitch is that there is a very small window in which to complete the check — just three days.—
Nina Totenberg,
NPR,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In Lebanon and parts of Syria, Israel detonated thousands of pagers of Hezbollah officials and bombed the group’s headquarters in southern Beirut, killing its leader, Hassan Nasrallah.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
12 Mar. 2026
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The United States went on high alert last June over concerns of retaliation from Tehran, after the United States and Israel bombed three Iranian nuclear sites during the 12-day war.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In applications like land mine detection, a single mistake can be fatal.—
Sagar Lekhak,
The Conversation,
5 Mar. 2026
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Every day presents new potential land mines.—
Tia Goldenberg,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In plays that feature women protagonists, the experience of feeling trapped is a recurring theme, whether characters are hemmed in by marriage, motherhood, gender roles, race, economic status or any number of societal norms.—
Emily McClanathan,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
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Vlad returns to find the protagonist and John trapped in the burning cabin and pulls them out.—
Meg Walters,
Glamour,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Under this Moon-Jupiter opposition, your family zone and your career quadrant are at risk of experiencing excess tension.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
13 Mar. 2026
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The attack occurred after projectiles struck four other vessels in Gulf waters, according to port, maritime security and risk firms.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Sheer and lace curtains should be hand-washed in cool water or placed in a mesh laundry bag in a washing machine to prevent snags and pulls.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
11 Mar. 2026
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Resolving the union issue has been a snag in every previous discussion to combine CBS News and CNN over the years, according to several former executives at both outlets.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Booby-trap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/booby-trap. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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