booby trap

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/ˈbuːbi ˌtræp/
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A hidden danger or trick that catches an unsuspecting person by turning a safe-looking action into the trigger.
Practice using booby trap in conversation until it feels natural

Examples

  • The bomb squad found a booby trap behind the office door.
  • Investigators said the vehicle had been fitted with a booby trap.
  • A tripwire can turn an ordinary doorway into a booby trap.
  • The old joke worked because the booby trap looked like an ordinary chair.
  • The contract looked simple, but one clause was a booby trap for careless buyers.

Similar words

snare
pitfall
trap
hidden trap
snare
mine
practical joke
trap
gotcha
catch

Meanings

Hidden device set to harm

security
neutral
A concealed device, often an explosive, that is triggered when an unsuspecting person touches, opens, moves, or enters something that seems safe.

Usage

Use booby trap for a hidden danger set off by the victim's own action, especially in military, criminal, or security contexts.

Examples

  • The bomb squad found a booby trap behind the office door.
  • Soldiers checked the abandoned building for booby traps before entering.
  • The package contained a booby trap that would trigger when the lid opened.
  • Investigators said the vehicle had been fitted with a booby trap.
  • A tripwire can turn an ordinary doorway into a booby trap.

Common mistakes

The device is described as visible or actively operated, which loses the hidden and victim-triggered idea.
IncorrectCorrect
The guard fired the booby trap at the intruder. The intruder triggered the booby trap when he opened the gate.
They saw the booby trap marked clearly in the middle of the road. They found a hidden booby trap beside the road.
The alarm camera was a booby trap. The hidden explosive wired to the door was a booby trap.

Similar words

hidden trap
mine
snare
explosive device
trap

Trap or trick for the unwary

everyday
neutral
A hidden trick, catch, or practical joke arranged so that someone who acts without caution is surprised, embarrassed, or caught out.

Usage

Use booby trap for a setup that springs on an unsuspecting person, from an old-fashioned prank to a figurative catch in a plan, question, or system.

Examples

  • The children set a booby trap with a bucket of water over the door.
  • The contract looked simple, but one clause was a booby trap for careless buyers.
  • The puzzle included a booby trap for anyone who ignored the units.
  • A fake error message served as a harmless booby trap in the game.
  • The old joke worked because the booby trap looked like an ordinary chair.

Common mistakes

The phrase is used for any ordinary prank, even when nothing is hidden or triggered by the person caught.
IncorrectCorrect
He told a funny story as a booby trap. He balanced a bucket over the door as a booby trap.
The exam had a booby trap that the teacher explained before the test began. The exam had a booby trap that caught students who skimmed the question.
She wrote boobie trap on the sign. She wrote booby trap on the sign.

Similar words

pitfall
catch
practical joke
snare
trap
gotcha

Usage

Use booby trap for the noun phrase. The related verb is usually written booby-trap or booby trap, as in a door that was booby-trapped.

Common mistakes

Boobie trap is a misspelling, and the noun phrase is often used where the verb booby-trap or set a booby trap is clearer.

Etymology

From booby, meaning a fool or naive person, plus trap. The phrase first referred to practical jokes and later came to name concealed devices meant to injure or kill.

FAQ

What does booby trap mean?

A booby trap is a hidden device, trick, or catch that surprises someone when they take an apparently safe action.

Is a booby trap always explosive?

No. It often means a hidden explosive device, but it can also mean a practical joke or figurative catch.

Can booby trap mean a prank?

Yes. The phrase originally referred to practical jokes, though modern use often suggests real danger.

Is booby-trap a verb?

Yes. The related verb means to set a booby trap in, on, or for something, as in a booby-trapped car.

What is the difference between a booby trap and a trap?

A booby trap is usually hidden and triggered by an unsuspecting person's own action.

Where does booby trap come from?

It combines booby, an old word for a fool or naive person, with trap.

Is boobie trap correct?

No. The standard spelling is booby trap for the noun phrase.

Can booby trap be used figuratively?

Yes. A clause, test question, or design flaw can be called a booby trap if it catches careless people.

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