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 figurativelyNo one knows what lies in wait for us in the coming year.
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Lay vs. Lie
Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.
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“Lie in wait.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lie%20in%20wait. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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