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
Trail cams may be easily spotted and removed – though the risk of booby traps can make this challenging – but they can quickly be replaced. David Hambling, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025 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 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
  • The children were to grow up and benefit the lives of their masters, to work in kitchens, become domestics, to toil away in the mines and to farm the fields.
    Tanya Talaga July 24, Literary Hub, 24 July 2025
  • In particular, there is evidence of the use of child labor in artisanal mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
    Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025
Noun
  • Receiver Jaylen Waddle caught a hitch and took it 15 yards.
    Claude Smalls, Miami Herald, 30 July 2025
  • During the Sunday morning press conference following the successful landing, Firefly’s Spacecraft Program Director Ray Allensworth stated that the mission went off without a hitch, with Blue Ghost landing within its 100-meter landing zone.
    Karoline Leonard, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
Verb
  • This deal also comes at a time when President Trump has become more critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin for continuing to bomb Ukrainian towns and cities.
    Ariel Cohen, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025
  • It’s all gone wrong and the Brazilian 23-year-old has been bombed into the reserves.
    Phil Hay, New York Times, 29 July 2025
Noun
  • Several Thai soldiers were injured in a land mine explosion along the border last week.
    Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 July 2025
  • The conflict has erupted after five Thai soldiers were wounded on Wednesday from a land mine explosion.
    Filip Timotija, The Hill, 26 July 2025
Verb
  • Unfortunately, Scott gets trapped there himself during an expedition with no way to get out until ... 23.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 25 July 2025
  • Her character survived a group seizure, being sent to a gay conversion camp, blackmail from one of her best friends (Lili Reinhart's Betty Cooper), and a full season in which she was trapped in a cult.
    Ryan Coleman Updated, EW.com, 25 July 2025
Noun
  • Other companies that rely on biometric data, like DNA research firm 23andMe, have reported data breaches or filed for bankruptcy, putting millions of people's personal information potentially at risk.
    Karoline Leonard, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
  • Family Health Centers, Inc. in Louisville is partnering with Vanderbilt University on a long-term study that will identify environmental cancer risks in the South.
    Ruby Grisin, The Courier-Journal, 30 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 4 Aug. 2025.

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