1
as in attack
a setup in which hidden attackers lie in wait
revolutionaries laid in ambush for the king along the route his carriage would travel
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in trap
a device or scheme for capturing another by surprise
thinking that he was getting into his assigned limousine, the diplomat did not realize that he was the victim of an ambush as he was being lured into his captor's car
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to attack
to lie in wait for and attack by surprise
the king's enemies planned to ambush the royal coach on the way to Paris and capture the king
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ambush
Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
The closest previous instance of violence fueled by conspiracy theories in Australia occurred in December 2022, when two police officers and a neighbor were killed in an ambush at a rural property in Wieambilla, Queensland.
—Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2025
Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2025
After his team, The Opps, successfully defended their Trios Titles, they were ambushed by the Death Riders faction.
—Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ambush
Noun
The tension builds as the approaching dog gets closer, its every movement deliberate, as though sneaking up in a playful ambush.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
The closest previous instance of violence fueled by conspiracy theories in Australia occurred in December 2022, when two police officers and a neighbor were killed in an ambush at a rural property in Wieambilla, Queensland.
—Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2025
Verb
Zach Neto ambushed Yamamoto’s first fastball of the game for a solo home run.
—Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2025
After his team, The Opps, successfully defended their Trios Titles, they were ambushed by the Death Riders faction.
—Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ambush
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ambush
Noun
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As aid groups say famine has already taken hold, the assault risks the lives of remaining hostages—captured by Hamas in its October 2023 attack—while Netanyahu faces mounting political turmoil at home, even as Washington continues to hold Hamas responsible for prolonging the conflict.—
Amira El-Fekki,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
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Even when put under lighter sanctions in 2018, during the Salisbury chemical attack, claims of election interference, and criminal cyber operations continued.—
Earl Carr,
Forbes.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The man, whom the magazine did not identify citing privacy concerns, cut his shin on a bait fish trap on a pier in an inlet that leads to the bay.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
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Her latest project, monitoring 50 camera traps in the understudied Atascosa highlands region in southern Arizona resulted in a remarkable discovery.—
John Leos,
AZCentral.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Another man charged with assaulting former Arizona Coyotes hockey player Paul Bissonnette has accepted a plea deal, according to court records.—
Wren Smetana,
AZCentral.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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That rich and powerful people are going to be held to account for assaulting underaged girls.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Utilizing cameras to target offenders can both help the police deploy limited resources efficiently and — when combined with facial recognition or bike-registration data — snare offenders remotely.—
Steve Cohen,
New York Daily News,
13 July 2025
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Complaining about the rich comes with many snares, as events reminded Anwar last week.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
5 July 2025
Verb
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However, their celebratory moment was waylaid when a bumblebee set its sights on the actress.—
Michael Nied,
People.com,
13 Aug. 2025
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Traditions are waylaid, revised, or simply forgotten in assimilation’s slow creep.—
Terry Nguyen
July 23,
Literary Hub,
23 July 2025
Verb
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The battle was turbo-charged when Powell surprised markets with a 50 basis point inflation hike in September last year, seen by some as a gift to Trump’s Democratic Party election rival Kamala Harris.—
Billy Bambrough,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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In a move that surprised some, the Republican governor’s proclamation also called on lawmakers to weaken the state’s initiative petition process, a more than a century-old mechanism for direct democracy that allows citizens to put measures on the ballot.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Police finally managed to capture Phillips after laying down spikes for his quad bike to run over after he was suspected of a burglary at a commercial address in Piopio.—
Becca Longmire,
PEOPLE,
9 Sep. 2025
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By combining co-creation, creator signals, and data systems, the company has built an engine for capturing information at scale and acting on it faster than rivals.—
Jamie Gutfreund,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ambush.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ambush. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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