as in ambushes
to lie in wait for and attack by surprise
a lonely stretch of highway along which unsuspecting tourists are often waylaid by gangs
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Recent Examples of waylays
These are the chapters that feature the merry trickster of the forest, Tom Bombadil, a classic fiddle-dee-dee-mischief type who waylays the hobbits at the onset of their quest.
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Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 25 Mar. 2026
Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 25 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waylays
Verb
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Thurman stars as The Bride, left for dead after her former boss and lover Bill ambushes her wedding rehearsal, shooting her in the head and stealing her unborn child.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
29 Nov. 2025
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In the finale, Aggie — who has already been on the run from the authorities after Nile framed her for the kidnapping and murder of Teddy Fenig — ambushes Nina at her gallery and tries to convince her that Nile killed Maddie and was also responsible for Teddy’s death.—
Max Gao,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Mills attacks Platner's past comments This month, the governor returned to Platner's controversial social media posts, triggering an exchange of advertising that has largely overshadowed the Democrats' arguments to defeat Collins.—
Steve Mistler,
NPR,
26 Mar. 2026
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Oil tanker traffic through the strait has plunged as Iran attacks commercial ships in the Persian Gulf.—
Spencer Kimball,
CNBC,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Waylays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waylays. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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