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
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 The characters must navigate different booby traps and escape from one cube into another. EW.com, 17 Oct. 2024 See All Example Sentences for booby-trap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for booby-trap
Verb
  • Korematsu was just 22 years old and working hard to expand his family’s flower nursery outside San Francisco when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941.
    Lauren Stienstra, Time, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Every American should reject the president's and his cronies' illegitimate use of government power to attack his enemies.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The scene takes place in the redstone mines, where Steve (Black) has brought Garrett (Jason Momoa) and Henry (Sebastian Hansen) to access his diamond stash.
    Mekado Murphy, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Ukrainian mines are a main reason why subsequent Russian offensives have made only incremental progress, and at incredible cost.
    David Axe, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The night’s crossing of the Athina went off without a hitch, and Captain Hallax arrived home the next morning.
    Silvana Paternostro Nathalia Angarita, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
  • Despite these concerns, the plan went off without a hitch.
    Ashley Vega, People.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • On April 19, 1995, Timothy McVeigh bombed a federal building, killing 167 people and injuring 684.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Apr. 2025
  • Israel has bombed, besieged and raided them, some several times, while accusing Hamas of using them as cover for its fighters.
    Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Last summer, Duley, who lost both legs and an arm to an explosive device in Afghanistan in 2011, exhibited his images of unexploded land mines at Atelier Jolie.
    Melena Ryzik, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2025
  • The Ottawa Treaty bans the use of anti-personnel land mines and advocates for its destruction.
    Abhishek Bhardwaj, Interesting Engineering, 10 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Law enforcement in Willacy County were still working to save residents trapped in their homes Friday after about 12 to 15 inches of rain pummeled the area over a six-hour period, the county’s Emergency Management Coordinator Frank Torres said.
    Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2025
  • In Alamo, the police and fire department responded to more than 100 water rescues, including people stranded in their vehicles and trapped in their homes, Fire Department Chief R.C. Flores said at a news conference Friday afternoon.
    CBS News, CBS News, 28 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The country could be at risk of losing its elimination status if an outbreak continued for more than one year.
    Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 11 Apr. 2025
  • Key challenges, like the risk of exacerbating inequality if access is limited to the rich and the significant energy demands, will need to be addressed.
    Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Repair kits are a simple way to patch snags and rips, but replacing a screen can be a better long-term solution.
    Cody Godwin, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2025
  • The big picture: The council's vote threw a last-minute snag into a plan, years in the making, to centrally organize St. Paul's garbage collection, with a single hauler handling most of the work.
    Kyle Stokes, Axios, 31 Mar. 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 22 Apr. 2025.

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