Booby Trap (Noun)
Meaning 1
An explosive mine hidden underground; explodes when stepped on or driven over.
Classification
Nouns denoting man-made objects.
Examples
- The soldiers were cautious not to trigger the booby trap that was rumored to be hidden along the path.
- As the convoy drove through the desert, one of the vehicles unknowingly drove over a booby trap, causing a massive explosion.
- The old war veteran had lost his leg when he stepped on a booby trap during the battle.
- The military engineer was trained to detect and disarm booby traps, saving countless lives on the battlefield.
- The civilians were warned not to venture into the abandoned minefield, where deadly booby traps were still buried underground.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
Meaning 2
An unforeseen or unexpected or surprising difficulty.
Classification
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents.
Examples
- The complex software system had a booby trap that would cause it to crash whenever a user tried to save a file with a certain name.
- The investors were caught off guard by a booby trap in the contract that made it difficult to withdraw their funds.
- The tourists encountered a booby trap in the form of a hidden entrance fee to the supposedly free museum.
- The researchers discovered a booby trap in the data that had been intentionally manipulated to skew the results.
- The homeowners found a booby trap in the form of a costly lien on the property that had not been disclosed by the previous owner.