Definition of waylaynext
as in to ambush
to lie in wait for and attack by surprise a lonely stretch of highway along which unsuspecting tourists are often waylaid by gangs

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of waylay Barbra Streisand was meant to show up to receive a honorary Palme d’Or, but was waylaid by a knee injury. Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 23 May 2026 Ruff said on Sunday after the Sabres waylaid the Bruins 6-1 in Boston. ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026 The Padres have gotten promising results from two reclamation projects in Walker Buehler and Germán Márquez, veterans who used to lead pitching staffs before Tommy John surgery waylaid them the past couple seasons. Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Apr. 2026 Now Picard is zipping around the cosmos again, The Lord of the Rings is waylaid with prequels and spin-offs, and somehow, Palpatine returned. Matthew Razak, Space.com, 13 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for waylay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waylay
Verb
  • Investigators learned that the victim had been ambushed, and that at least one person had gotten out of another vehicle and shot the man — who was later identified as 26-year-old Justin Tran — before fleeing the scene.
    Sean Emery, Oc Register, 12 June 2026
  • Situated on Route 33 in Manalapan, this state park has preserved the 18th-century landscape of one of the biggest battles of the Revolutionary War, where the Continental Army ambushed the British army along their route from Philadelphia to New York City.
    USA TODAY Network, USA Today, 10 June 2026
Verb
  • Just attacking everything with strikes.
    Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 11 June 2026
  • Police in the northwest Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights have released a sketch of a man accused of attacking and choking a woman this past weekend.
    Adam Harrington, CBS News, 11 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Waylay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waylay. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.

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