tripwire

American  

[trip-wahy^uhr] / ˈtrɪpˌwaɪər /

noun

1. a wire used to set off concealed explosives, as one stretched across a footpath to be struck and activated by the foot of an enemy soldier.

2. a wire that activates a trap, camera, or other device when stepped on, tripped trip on, or otherwise disturbed.

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tripwire British  

/ ˈtrɪpˌwaɪə /

noun

1. a wire that activates a trap, mine, etc, when tripped over

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Etymology

Origin of tripwire

trip ¹ + wire

Example Sentences

The states of the upper and lower basins have stated conflicting interpretations of a certain provision of the 1922 Colorado River Compact concerning how much water the upper basin must deliver to the lower basin over a 10-year period, which Kuhn and Fleck have described as a looming “tripwire” that might trigger a legal fight.

From Los Angeles Times

The unsuspecting saints may be gone by the time they realize that the pedestal to which we annexed them was a cliff or tripwire trapping them in the theater of an idea of themselves.

From Los Angeles Times

The sources also say the coalition troops would not be deployed to provide a so-called "tripwire force" - meaning a force smaller than that of the opponent, designed to deter an attack without triggering escalation - if Russia resumed its invasion of Ukraine.

From BBC

That’s probably something that freezes terrain in place with some creative, NATO-by-another-name security guarantee that ensures Ukraine’s survival and current sovereignty — perhaps stationing troops of major European nations in Ukraine to create a “human tripwire,” as America has done in South Korea for many decades.

From Los Angeles Times

According to an FBI internal document, the bureau relied on information from at least one undercover operative who sought to use local religious organizations as “new avenues for tripwire and source development.”

From Washington Times