ambush 1 of 2

noun

Definition of ambushnext
1
as in attack
a setup in which hidden attackers lie in wait revolutionaries laid in ambush for the king along the route his carriage would travel

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in trap
a device or scheme for capturing another by surprise thinking that he was getting into his assigned limousine, the diplomat did not realize that he was the victim of an ambush as he was being lured into his captor's car

Synonyms & Similar Words

ambush

2 of 2

verb

ˈam-ˌbu̇sh How to pronounce ambush (audio)
as in to attack
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

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 ambush
Noun
Another new player is added to the mix in Damien Cantor (Harry Lloyd), an oily media mogul who’s introduced to Taverner by Judd over a lunch that quietly turns into an ambush. — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026 Court records show that Moore and his alleged co-conspirator Eric Diaz planned and executed an ambush on 38-year-old John Williams. — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 19 Sep. 2026
Verb
Hansen, who left NBC in 2013 but remains a leader in the pervert-ambushing space, has spoken about having considered a sting operation against Jeffrey Epstein in 2015. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2026 Investigators later determined the shooting happened in the area of Pontiac Lake Road and Summit Drive, where the four men were ambushed by several other men armed with assault rifles. — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ambush
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ambush
  1. attack
  2. trap
  3. assault
  4. surprise
  5. snare
  6. waylay
  7. capture
Noun
  • The claim that Ukraine has halted its strikes on energy sites could not be independently verified, but neither Russian officials nor media have reported Ukrainian attacks on oil refineries since the energy truce was announced.
    — HANNA ARHIROVA, Arkansas Online, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Before the current attacks, the airport handled roughly 110,000 passengers a day — similar in scale to Miami International airport.
    — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of attack
Noun
  • Dead roaches were observed inside a glue trap on the floor next to a beer keg.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 9 Oct. 2026
  • New England beat Buffalo so the public isn't exactly fading the Patriots, but this still feels like a bit of a trap line to me.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of trap
Verb
  • According to the Public Defender's Office, officers falsely claimed that Gibson had assaulted them by biting, punching, and wrapping a radio cord around an officer's neck, claims later refuted by video evidence.
    — Senior Editor, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Large private surveys of students at multiple colleges consistently estimate that 1 in 5 college women are assaulted while attending university.
    — Kaitlyn M. Sims, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of assault
Noun
  • There were some surprises in the rankings, too, with the Fendi Spy bag seeing a 127 percent spike in average resale value amid this year’s Y2K revival.
    — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Each episode, as Banijay Friends & Family notes, is told with a warm blend of humor and surprise.
    — John Hopewell, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of surprise
Noun
  • In California, 387 were killed with neck snares, 44 with foothold traps and 2,200 shot with firearms.
    — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Chase and Tee Higgins turn potential incompletions into 6-point snares.
    — Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of snare
Verb
  • In the film Rap World (which Bensinger also edited), Bensinger, O’Malley, and Rahill play suburban deadbeats eager to make an album, each man waylaid by his own hubris and distractions.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026
  • But in the meantime, on their nut-selling quest, Zuriko and Gela are unfortunately — though perhaps inevitably, given that in these parts Murphy’s law is the only one strictly observed — waylaid by highway robbers.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of waylay
Verb
  • Street style became a bridge between the industry and the culture consuming it, capturing a moment when fashion felt especially connected to the people and communities shaping what came next.
    — Alex Badia, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
  • But recent polling suggests Democrats could also capture the Senate, giving them full control of Congress — once an almost-unthinkable prospect.
    — Theodoric Meyer, Washington Post, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of capture

Browse Nearby Words

ambuscading
ambush
ambushed
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Cite this Entry

“Ambush.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ambush. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on ambush

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ambush

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