booby trap
noun
1
: a trap for the unwary or unsuspecting : pitfall
2
: a concealed explosive device contrived to go off when some harmless-looking object is touched
Examples of booby trap in a Sentence
Someone had rigged a booby trap that blew up the car when the engine was started.
We set a booby trap by balancing a bucket of water on top of the door so that it would fall on him when he came in.
Recent Examples on the Web
Look, this movie is filled with giant culture war booby traps.
—
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 19 May 2024
When two bumbling thieves (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern) attempt to rob his home, Kevin begins an elaborately violent, slapstick battle of wits via booby traps involving a tarantula, paint buckets, and flamethrowers.
—Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 16 Apr. 2024
Such drug growing sites, which are guarded by individuals with weapons and protected with booby traps, have been a problem for authorities in California for decades.
—Sam Stanton, Sacramento Bee, 21 Feb. 2024
Kevin grasped the depth of Marv and Harry’s depravity and planned accordingly by setting out his elaborate booby traps with ingenuity and precision.
—Gregory M. Collins, National Review, 27 Dec. 2023
See all Example Sentences for booby trap 
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 19 May 2024
When two bumbling thieves (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern) attempt to rob his home, Kevin begins an elaborately violent, slapstick battle of wits via booby traps involving a tarantula, paint buckets, and flamethrowers.
—Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 16 Apr. 2024
Such drug growing sites, which are guarded by individuals with weapons and protected with booby traps, have been a problem for authorities in California for decades.
—Sam Stanton, Sacramento Bee, 21 Feb. 2024
Kevin grasped the depth of Marv and Harry’s depravity and planned accordingly by setting out his elaborate booby traps with ingenuity and precision.
—Gregory M. Collins, National Review, 27 Dec. 2023
See all Example Sentences for booby trap
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'booby trap.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Booby trap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/booby%20trap. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
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