1
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
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
Jason Ma, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2025
Arnold and Evetts are among ten individuals who allegedly took part in an ambush of federal agents at the ICE detention facility, during which authorities say the suspects used fireworks to distract officers while vandalizing vehicles outside the facility.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2025
As Tea leaves with her colleague Yasin, their car is ambushed.
—Isabella Wandermurem, Time, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ambush
Noun
Israel launched strikes against Hamas in Gaza and reportedly suspended all aid shipments on Sunday after blaming Hamas for a lethal Palestinian ambush that left two soldiers dead.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2025
Arnold and Evetts are among ten individuals who allegedly took part in an ambush of federal agents at the ICE detention facility, during which authorities say the suspects used fireworks to distract officers while vandalizing vehicles outside the facility.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
After ambushing Fuller at her mansion, Teddy and his accomplice/cousin Don (Aidan Delbis) knock her unconscious with a tranquilizer and load her into the backseat of her own car.
—Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2025
As Tea leaves with her colleague Yasin, their car is ambushed.
—Isabella Wandermurem, Time, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ambush
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ambush
Noun
-
All three nuclear powers have established their own nuclear triad, consisting of ICBMs, submarines armed with ballistic missiles and nuclear-capable aircraft, which ensure their forces can survive a first strike and retaliate, thereby deterring a nuclear attack.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
-
But in the final weeks of the race, both campaigns traded personal attacks.—
Joe Hernandez,
NPR,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Jacob plots to seduce his employers and gain an advantage from their industry connections, but unwittingly walks into a trap.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
5 Nov. 2025
-
By moving the economy up the value chain, Beijing hopes to escape the middle-income trap and cement its status as a self-reliant tech superpower.—
Shaoyu Yuan,
The Conversation,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
An 88-year-old Seattle woman was hospitalized with serious injuries after a man violently assaulted and robbed her, biting off her finger and stealing her jewelry, police say.—
Sophia Compton,
FOXNews.com,
8 Nov. 2025
-
In video of the event shared on social media, several members of the audience could be seen physically assaulting one of the activists who lit a red flare.—
Philippe Cordier,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
In other parts of the state, hoop nets and crab snares may be used.—
Linda Zavoral,
Mercury News,
26 Oct. 2025
-
LaFreniere said the bear had just about worked its way out of the snare, with the cable loop barely holding the bruin by a claw.—
Bob McNally,
Outdoor Life,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Google had hoped to void those changes with an appeal, but the ruling issued in July by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals delivered a legal blow for the tech giant, which has been waylaid in three separate antitrust trials affecting different pillars of its internet empire.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Ensure a simple-enough menu stays manageable with a to-do list so you’re not waylaid by days-long side quests.—
Joseph Hernandez,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Wall Street’s bar for positive surprises is also rising, analysts say.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
-
When Democrats called a surprise redistricting session in early October, forcing her back to Richmond just as early voting ramped up, Earle-Sears barely mentioned it on the trail, beyond holding a press conference a week before the election.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The only person ever executed in Israel was Adolf Eichmann, a key architect of the Holocaust, who was hanged in 1962 after he famously was captured by Israeli intelligence agents in Argentina and subsequently convicted in a landmark trial.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
11 Nov. 2025
-
With the pinfall win, Cena captured the WWE Intercontinental Championship, which is the only championship that had eluded him in his WWE career.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ambush.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ambush. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share