honeytrap
honeytrap Lexical Profile
honeytrap Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A stratagem in which an attractive person lures another person into a romantic or sexual relationship in order to extract confidential information, expose infidelity, or blackmail them.
"The diplomat fell victim to a carefully orchestrated honeytrap during an overseas conference."
• verb
To lure or seduce someone using romantic or sexual attraction in order to obtain secret information, compromise their reputation, or blackmail them.
"The investigative journalist discovered that a rival firm had attempted to honeytrap the chief executive."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in mid-20th-century espionage terminology by combining 'honey' (representing a sweet, irresistible lure) and 'trap'; the term was popularized in the 1970s by John le Carré's spy novel 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.