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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
Keith Phipps, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2024
The Department of Transportation tried to keep the process relatively frictionless, but the city council introduced a potential booby trap.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 21 Aug. 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
Unfortunately, though, one open window negates all the padlocks, bolts, and booby traps money can buy.
—Lily Hay Newman, WIRED, 21 Mar. 2019
See all Example Sentences for booby-trap 
Noun
In the desert, the Stranger and Nori have become aware they’re being followed and set about constructing a booby trap and maybe killing their stalker.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2024
The Department of Transportation tried to keep the process relatively frictionless, but the city council introduced a potential booby trap.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 21 Aug. 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
Unfortunately, though, one open window negates all the padlocks, bolts, and booby traps money can buy.
—Lily Hay Newman, WIRED, 21 Mar. 2019
See all Example Sentences for booby-trap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for booby-trap
Verb
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The gamble now is not gambling, protecting their bottom line but leaving themselves open to attack elsewhere.—
George Caulkin,
The Athletic,
3 Feb. 2025
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By arguing against birthright citizenship, Trump is directly attacking the fourteenth amendment which was codified after the Civil War to extend citizenship to the formerly enslaved.—
Brea Baker,
refinery29.com,
3 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Sketchers and similar brands remind me of Keds except all of mine are slip-ons.—
Judy Holmes,
Twin Cities,
6 Feb. 2025
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Arrowhead also brought some pretty huge buffs for all kinds of mines to the table.—
Anders Fogh Rasmussen,
Newsweek,
4 Feb. 2025
Noun
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This arrangement is great for saving on overhead by as much as 40%, as well as tapping into specialized expertise that can ensure your books are closed out flawlessly, and that your tax documents are ready for the new year without a hitch.—
William Mullane,
USA TODAY,
1 Feb. 2025
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Both hilarity and chaos ensue when the father of one bride (Ferrell) and sister of the other bride (Witherspoon) go head-to-head in their very determined efforts to ensure their families’ respective special celebrations go off without a hitch.—
Gail Mitchell,
Billboard,
29 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The destruction in parts of Altadena, a few miles to the west of Sierra Madre, and Pacific Palisades, which had burned in a separate fire on the other side of Los Angeles, made these areas appear bombed out.—
M. R. O’Connor,
The New Yorker,
27 Jan. 2025
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While The Crow bombed after a heartwarming buildup, opening at $4.6 million against a budget of at least $50 million, LaBeouf has appeared in Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis and shot a film with David Mamet, signaling a post–Me Too comeback.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
24 Jan. 2025
Noun
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President Biden is also sending land mines to help Ukrainian forces slow Russia’s continuing advance in Ukraine’s east.—
Ian Bremmer,
TIME,
16 Jan. 2025
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The assistance includes counter-drone systems, munitions for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), and antipersonnel land mines, according to U.S. officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to the Associated Press.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
2 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Vehicles trapped in mud Four vehicles were trapped in mud along Mulholland Drive, around the 4100 block of Alhama Drive in Woodland Hills, Sunday evening.—
Rong-Gong Lin II,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2025
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By trapping itself within the Paris framework, the U.S. was playing along with Chinese ambitions, positioning itself to squander America’s natural energy advantage, and inflicting terrible harm on its auto sector.—
The Editors,
National Review,
27 Jan. 2025
Noun
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California is home to the top six cities at highest wildfire risk in the U.S., but Texas, Colorado and Oregon also have cities in the top 15.—
Katie Tarasov,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2025
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Burn scars are at particular risk because intense heat can make soil water-repellent, while the loss of vegetation can mean there aren’t enough roots to hold the soil in place.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2025
Noun
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In thinking of the rights of families of the dead, there’s a significant snag: Who counts as family?—
Tyler McBrien,
The Dial,
28 Jan. 2025
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Ali looked matter-of-fact, as if the instance had been a slight snag.—
Mikal Gilmore,
Rolling Stone,
17 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near booby-trap
Cite this Entry
“Booby-trap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/booby-trap. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.
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