trip wire
noun
1
: a low-placed concealed wire used especially in warfare to trip an enemy or trespasser and usually to trigger an alarm or explosive device when moved
2
: something (such as a small military force) intended to function like a trip wire (as to set a larger military force in motion)
Examples of trip wire in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Sounds straightforward, but both know their affair is happening in a cultural minefield where the trip wires are economic, professional and generational.
—
Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 24 Dec. 2024
But Trump was hesitant to navigate the fight so early in his presidency, viewing the debt ceiling as a political trip wire.
—David Sivak, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 19 Dec. 2024
Meanwhile, House and Senate Republicans are at odds over how to sequence President-elect Trump’s legislative ambitions next year to pocket speedy success with fewer trip wires.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 10 Dec. 2024
Billie Joe reached around the trip wires and spoke from his heart.
—Eric Fuller, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for trip wire 
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Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 24 Dec. 2024
But Trump was hesitant to navigate the fight so early in his presidency, viewing the debt ceiling as a political trip wire.
—David Sivak, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 19 Dec. 2024
Meanwhile, House and Senate Republicans are at odds over how to sequence President-elect Trump’s legislative ambitions next year to pocket speedy success with fewer trip wires.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 10 Dec. 2024
Billie Joe reached around the trip wires and spoke from his heart.
—Eric Fuller, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for trip wire
Dictionary Entries Near trip wire
Cite this Entry
“Trip wire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trip%20wire. Accessed 11 Jan. 2025.
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