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
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
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Recent Examples of ambush
Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 21 May 2025
Also watch out for ambush drones parked by the side of the road, which take off when a target approached.
—David Hambling, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 11 June 2025
Antonio never even started the car: he was ambushed in the building’s garage by a man who had been hiding among the vehicles.
—Isadora Wandermurem, Time, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for ambush
Noun
South Africans and some independent analysts warned of the danger of Ramaphosa walking into an Oval Office ambush at the hands of Trump like the one recently endured by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 21 May 2025
Also watch out for ambush drones parked by the side of the road, which take off when a target approached.
—David Hambling, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
Verb
The rookie was ambushed on a first-pitch homer by leadoff Casey Schmitt, then walked three guys to load the bases with one out.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 11 June 2025
Antonio never even started the car: he was ambushed in the building’s garage by a man who had been hiding among the vehicles.
—Isadora Wandermurem, Time, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for ambush
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ambush
Noun
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Regional authorities in Lviv, which borders Poland, reported attacks on critical infrastructure but no casualties.—
Ellie Cook,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 June 2025
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Videos posted on Telegram show a large fire near Kremenchuk after the attack.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
29 June 2025
Noun
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Wolves are killed across the Northern Rockies using steel-jawed traps, neck snares, packs of dogs and even snowmobiles.—
Jim Martin,
Denver Post,
27 June 2025
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Furthermore, Indigenous peoples used Amelanchier branches to craft arrow shafts, baskets, ropes, fish traps, and tools for unearthing root crops, writes Jeffrey A. Hart.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
27 June 2025
Verb
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Rihanna's has been candid about her relationship with her father over the years, and spoke out against her father after she was assaulted by her then-boyfriend Chris Brown in 2009 and Fenty reportedly spoke to the press about the incident without his daughter's consent.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
People.com,
26 June 2025
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According to Dominguez, Smith physically assaulted Turner and pulled out some of her hair.—
Minyvonne Burke,
NBC news,
26 June 2025
Noun
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Beyond that, apex scavengers are sometimes killed accidentally—hyenas and lions can get caught in wire snares meant for herbivores in Africa.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
18 June 2025
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Immediately, the divine collides with the inane, and Goddess runs into a fundamental dramatic snare.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
21 May 2025
Verb
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Internal signals of illness may leave you waylaid and bedridden.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 June 2025
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But unlike in the past, Byrne’s new movie never waylays you with a surprise narrative wrinkle or unexpected thematic depth.—
Tim Grierson,
Los Angeles Times,
6 June 2025
Verb
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In the past, she has been surprised by the condition of upholstered pieces at estate sales upon taking them outside.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
28 June 2025
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House Democrats picked 47-year old California Rep. Robert Garcia to lead them on the Oversight Committee, surprising the many internal critics who’d assumed the party was married to seniority.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
27 June 2025
Verb
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And listing this doesn’t capture the sheer violation of humanity: ripping babies away from their mothers, damaging trans kids by denying them access to medical care, and abetting food apartheid by working to eliminate Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.—
Michael Pfleger,
Chicago Tribune,
29 June 2025
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Police previously captured the other eight escapees following the May 16 jailbreak, one of the largest in recent U.S. history.—
JIM MUSTIAN,
Arkansas Online,
29 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ambush.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ambush. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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