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
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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
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of ambush
Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 19 Dec. 2024
Sometimes Bluey sneaks up from behind in an emotional ambush, but there’s no need to worry about that here.
—Vulture Staff, Vulture, 26 Dec. 2024
Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024
Lopez Ramirez is accused of ambushing his 57-year-old mother — who was baking cookies at the time of the attack — upon returning from a trip to the laundromat around 7 p.m.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 28 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ambush 
Noun
Mangione now faces federal charges in New York and 11 New York state charges in the ambush shooting of Thompson, as well as charges in Pennsylvania.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 19 Dec. 2024
Sometimes Bluey sneaks up from behind in an emotional ambush, but there’s no need to worry about that here.
—Vulture Staff, Vulture, 26 Dec. 2024
Verb
Surveillance footage showed Thompson walking alone on a sidewalk as the masked shooter ambushed him, shooting him several times.
—Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024
Lopez Ramirez is accused of ambushing his 57-year-old mother — who was baking cookies at the time of the attack — upon returning from a trip to the laundromat around 7 p.m.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 28 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ambush
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ambush
Noun
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Other Republicans in attendance included Mr. Bush and Mike Pence, who was Mr. Trump’s vice president during his first term and was the target of rioters during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.Neil Vigdor, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2025
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Newsom has recently come under attack by critics of his handling of the historic wildfires.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 12 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Make sure your plans include fallback options for these users but don’t fall into the trap of falling back onto lower-assurance security factors.Aaron Painter, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
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This is political gamesmanship at its worst, planting a trap for lawmakers by exploiting a tragedy.Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
Verb
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After assaulting her, Diaz repeatedly called and texted her, but the woman turned down any further job opportunities, according to prosecutors.Elizabeth Keogh, New York Daily News, 9 Jan. 2025
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Mazza was sentenced to five years in prison for carrying a gun and assaulting police officers.Scott MacFarlane, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The ebullient thrum of staccato snares, thumping sousaphones, and tramping shoes all acting in unison filled the gray morning air in the parking lot outside Angel Stadium recently.Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2024
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That didn’t prevent the first tribal project to come along — the Yakama Nation’s — from getting caught in a snare of bureaucracy.ProPublica, ProPublica, 20 Sep. 2024
Verb
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Chicago City Council approved the mega development featuring new housing, retail and park space back in 2019, but it was waylaid by the pandemic-era economy that saw costs jump.Justin Kaufmann, Axios, 9 Jan. 2025
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The underdog Phils were running way ahead of the NL pack all season before a 10-game losing streak in September waylaid them.Tony Blengino, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Over the past few years, the strength of the U.S. economy and the job market have surprised almost everyone.PAUL WISEMAN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, arkansasonline.com, 11 Jan. 2025
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A lot of people are surprised a 62-year-old man can see the positive side of screen time.Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The Bills captured yet another wild-card win under head coach Sean McDermott and will return to the AFC divisional round for a fifth straight season.Joe Buscaglia, The Athletic, 13 Jan. 2025
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This interconnection and interdependence of human, animal and environmental health are captured by the term One Health.Ari Daniel, NPR, 12 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near ambush
Cite this Entry
“Ambush.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ambush. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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