# honey trap

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/honey-trap
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

The use of a romantic or a sexual relationship to entice a person into revealing secret information.

## Examples

- The spy fell for a honey trap.
- The agent realized too late that his new acquaintance was actually a honey trap designed to steal classified documents.
- The intelligence agency orchestrated a sophisticated honey trap, successfully compromising the diplomat by exploiting his personal vulnerabilities to secure the state secrets.

## Origin

Popularized by John le Carré in the novel Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1974).

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.