as in attacking
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
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Recent Examples of ambushing
Rajabi was therefore reduced to meeting Khamenei by ambushing him after evening prayers in his compound.
—
Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 1 Mar. 2026
The man accused of ambushing West Virginia National Guard members near the White House in November, killing one and severely wounding another, is set to be arraigned in court on Wednesday.
—Steve Beynon, ABC News, 4 Feb. 2026
The man accused of ambushing two West Virginia National Guard members in a shooting in the nation's capital, killing one and wounding another, has pleaded not guilty to nine charges.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026
Among the Builsa people, songs are still sung about retreating from slave raiders into rocky and cavernous areas, and then ambushing them.
—Literary Hub, 5 Dec. 2025
Over the past two months, JNIM has stepped up attacks on fuel supplies, ambushing tankers on the roads from Ivory Coast and Senegal.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2025
After ambushing Fuller at her mansion, Teddy and his accomplice/cousin Don (Aidan Delbis) knock her unconscious with a tranquilizer and load her into the backseat of her own car.
—Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2025
The offense also turned in another strong performance, ambushing Scherzer for three runs out of the gate before later getting home runs from Masataka Yoshida and Carlos Narvaez to turn the game into a rout.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 25 Sep. 2025
The entertainment giant accused Sling TV’s parent of ambushing it with the offering, allegedly without consultation, to capitalize on the starts of the college football and NFL seasons.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2025
Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 1 Mar. 2026
The man accused of ambushing West Virginia National Guard members near the White House in November, killing one and severely wounding another, is set to be arraigned in court on Wednesday.
—Steve Beynon, ABC News, 4 Feb. 2026
The man accused of ambushing two West Virginia National Guard members in a shooting in the nation's capital, killing one and wounding another, has pleaded not guilty to nine charges.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026
Among the Builsa people, songs are still sung about retreating from slave raiders into rocky and cavernous areas, and then ambushing them.
—Literary Hub, 5 Dec. 2025
Over the past two months, JNIM has stepped up attacks on fuel supplies, ambushing tankers on the roads from Ivory Coast and Senegal.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2025
After ambushing Fuller at her mansion, Teddy and his accomplice/cousin Don (Aidan Delbis) knock her unconscious with a tranquilizer and load her into the backseat of her own car.
—Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2025
The offense also turned in another strong performance, ambushing Scherzer for three runs out of the gate before later getting home runs from Masataka Yoshida and Carlos Narvaez to turn the game into a rout.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 25 Sep. 2025
The entertainment giant accused Sling TV’s parent of ambushing it with the offering, allegedly without consultation, to capitalize on the starts of the college football and NFL seasons.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ambushing
Verb
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The adjective ‘brave’ should never be used in reference to a person attacking a dead person.—
Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
2 Apr. 2026
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Trump reacted by attacking Springsteen over his physical appearance and urging his MAGA fanbase to boycott the tour.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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According to Sadriu, officers learned that Cupe was allegedly assaulting a woman in the park when a bystander intervened in an effort to stop the assault.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
2 Apr. 2026
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The untitled film marks Majors’ first movie in four years after he was dropped from numerous projects when found guilty in 2023 of assaulting his former girlfriend.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Trump has repeatedly praised Rubio’s handling of Venezuela after capturing former Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro.—
Mabinty Quarshie,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Mar. 2026
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As for the music video, it was filmed in a diner in Mexico City, capturing the full atmosphere of the 1950s — milkshakes included — albeit featuring dancers performing in the style of Texas norteño.—
Tere Aguilera,
Billboard,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ambushing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ambushing. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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