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
Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 18 June 2025
She was frequently caught short by the playwright’s winking ambush.
—Han Ong, New Yorker, 22 June 2025
David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 1 July 2025
Two firefighters were killed and another wounded in northwest Idaho on Sunday when a gunman started a fire and then ambushed the responding firefighters, authorities said.
—Liz Kreutz, NBC news, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for ambush
Noun
These groups have deployed drones equipped with explosives, infrared sensors and thermal imaging to track human targets, enabling nighttime ambushes and coordinated assaults.
—Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 18 June 2025
She was frequently caught short by the playwright’s winking ambush.
—Han Ong, New Yorker, 22 June 2025
Verb
Roley, who was found dead near the scene after appearing to have shot himself, is suspected of lighting the brush with a flint fire starter before ambushing the firefighting crew in a mountainous area of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 1 July 2025
Two firefighters were killed and another wounded in northwest Idaho on Sunday when a gunman started a fire and then ambushed the responding firefighters, authorities said.
—Liz Kreutz, NBC news, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for ambush
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ambush
Noun
-
In one attack in late January, Russian drones hit an apartment complex in an overnight attack, killing nine people and injuring 13.—
Joanna Kakissis,
NPR,
11 July 2025
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But then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin repudiated the deal, saying a decision on the death penalty in an attack as grave as Sept. 11 should only be made by the defense secretary.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 July 2025
Noun
-
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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Wyoming’s wildlife agency, for example, traps and relocates conflict bears (or kills problem bears if allowed by the Fish and Wildlife Service), knocks on doors to calm nervous landowners, hands out bear spray, and reminds campers not to cook chili in their tents.—
Christine Peterson,
Vox,
27 June 2025
Verb
-
McLaughlin, in a statement to NBC News, said the man had assaulted and verbally harassed a federal agent which led to his arrest.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
8 July 2025
-
At times, the boy was restrained and choked and assaulted in his dorm room bed.—
Richard Winton
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
8 July 2025
Noun
-
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
-
After hundreds of years of persistent persecution—one generation of farmers learning from the previous generation to poison, snare, and shoot wolves—the animals’ near disappearance around the turn of the 20th century was celebrated throughout Europe as the end of a long, bloody, and hard-won war.—
Jonathan C. Slaght,
The Atlantic,
11 June 2025
Verb
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During the years following the mail bomb threat, Harold had also begun an intensive self-defence training regimen partly as a way of waylaying his debilitating state of constant paranoia.—
Hazlitt,
Hazlitt,
18 June 2025
-
But those plans were waylaid by red tape from state liquor authorities and construction difficulties, according to Caulfield.—
Evan Simko-Bednarski,
New York Daily News,
16 June 2025
Verb
-
Frantic runs burst through the music, while the last movement surprises with its sudden force.—
Sheila Regan,
Twin Cities,
11 July 2025
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However, this didn't happen, leaving county officials, including Comptroller Liz Sumner, surprised and prompting her to order an audit of the governance and oversight structure of MCTS.—
Sophia Tiedge,
jsonline.com,
10 July 2025
Verb
-
The emotional moment, captured on video and shared with the world, ends in a tight embrace and tears.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
11 July 2025
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Such news typically captures investors' attention—particularly when major players like Blackstone, Brookfield, and BlackRock’s infrastructure division are speculated to be involved.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ambush.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ambush. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
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