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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ambush
Rob Wieland, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
In addition to witnessing bloodshed as a soldier and a journalist, Godwin has also lost his eldest sister, Jain, who was killed along with her fiancé and their best man in an army ambush in 1978, just weeks before her wedding.
—Dina Gachman, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
Krystal Nurse, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2025
Investigators said Rubio-Perez ambushed the 52-year-old woman in the parking lot.
—Olivia Lloyd, Charlotte Observer, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ambush
Noun
Players lead the minotaur on goose chases into traps, set up ambushes with exploding gas jars from another part of the dungeon, or even convince the factions inside the dungeon to join them in an all-out battle against it with overwhelming numbers.
—Rob Wieland, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
In addition to witnessing bloodshed as a soldier and a journalist, Godwin has also lost his eldest sister, Jain, who was killed along with her fiancé and their best man in an army ambush in 1978, just weeks before her wedding.
—Dina Gachman, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
Verb
Once a Brink’s driver exited an armored vehicle to deliver money to a business, prosecutors said robbers ambushed them, with testimony in the case later revealing that the conspirators used assault rifles to carry out their robberies.
—Krystal Nurse, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2025
Investigators said Rubio-Perez ambushed the 52-year-old woman in the parking lot.
—Olivia Lloyd, Charlotte Observer, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ambush
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ambush
Noun
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Whitmer wages charm offensive against Trump as other Dems attack As much as Trump enjoys skewering his rivals, the president has lauded Whitmer on multiple occasions since returning to power.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
1 May 2025
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Yet Slot never lost sight of this threat and ensured that rapid-fire counters remained at the heart of Liverpool’s attack.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
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But the Knicks can’t fall for the trap, and Brunson, who finished with 34 points on 12-of-27 shooting from the field to go with eight assists on the night, had a frustrating start to his evening.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
20 Apr. 2025
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Europe is wary of sleepwalking back into the trap of reliance on Russian energy resources that caused an energy crisis at the outset of the 2022 invasion and mounting speculation that Europe might reopen its taps has sparked pushback from key European voices.—
Ariel Cohen,
Forbes.com,
19 Apr. 2025
Verb
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According to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, Brittany Walker and Samuel Payton allegedly assaulted the victim, a 44-year-old man who uses a wheelchair, in a Detroit apartment on Jan. 29, FOX 2 Detroit reported.—
Bailey Richards,
People.com,
28 Apr. 2025
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Perhaps the single most disturbing sequence in The Fall of Diddy is surveillance camera video from 2016 that shows Combs assaulting his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in a California hotel.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
26 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The movie’s pivot to vampires is a supernatural vision of the real-life snares set for great Black musicians.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2025
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Hungry Lion Records grants him the space to do so with an almost-morose mixture of trap snares and synths that invites listeners to focus on his soul-baring lyrics.—
Kyle Denis,
Billboard,
3 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Without the mesh, the moisture evaporates in the dry air as the temperature rises each day, but with it, the fog would be only temporarily waylaid– providing valuable fresh water to people, before it’s treated and cycled back into the ocean.—
Lauren Leffer,
Popular Science,
20 Feb. 2025
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In late November, Israeli forces opened fire on looters waiting to waylay trucks in Rafah, forcing them to retreat, according to an internal U.N. memo.—
Adam Rasgon,
New York Times,
23 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Don’t be surprised when the Avs win Game 6, 17-2. If the Stars had their complete lineup, this would not be a close series.—
Mac Engel,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Apr. 2025
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The truth is no one should be surprised by the swift start.—
Dan Alexander,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
Verb
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From a group of playful otters vying over a fresh fish to weeping plum trees glistening in the rain, the winners of a National Geographic contest open to amateur photographers have captured the diversity and beauty of Earth.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
1 May 2025
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Once the layers are loaded, locate what will be your central image, capturing the peak of the eclipse — totality, annularity or the point of greatest eclipse, depending on the type of eclipse. 4.—
Josh Dury,
Space.com,
30 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ambush.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ambush. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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