lie in wait

phrase

: to hide and wait for the right moment to make an attack

The killer may have been lying in wait for him.

—sometimes used figuratively

No one knows what lies in wait for us in the coming year.

Examples of lie in wait in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

More drama and gossip lie in wait for the second half of Season 4 of Bridgerton. — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 29 Jan. 2026

Trolls could lie in wait in February and the early part of March; these aren’t generally helpful periods in the Universal stars either. — Magi Helena, Dallas Morning News, 16 Jan. 2026

Trolls could lie in wait in February and the early part of March, these aren’t generally helpful periods in the Universal stars, either. — Hope Hunt, Baltimore Sun, 16 Jan. 2026

By comparison, the eyes and nostrils in modern crocodiles sit higher on the skull, enabling them to lie in wait for prey while keeping most of the body underwater. — Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2025

Rhymes for lie in wait

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate
• angulate

Video

Lay vs. Lie

Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.