as in attacked
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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Recent Examples of ambushed
This would be equivalent to your slow, steady and practical thought process (Mercury in Taurus) being ambushed by raw, unfiltered truths (Pluto in Aquarius).
—
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 5 May 2026
Once there, however, they’re ambushed by the same angry writers roasting Val on social media.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 4 May 2026
Tragically, before Creasy even begins to conceive of what’s happening, he and his entire team are ambushed.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 30 Apr. 2026
Police said the officer was ambushed and shot outside department headquarters.
—Tim Fang, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
Anderson had been cooking when she was ambushed, the judge said, because there was still food in the oven when their bodies were discovered three days later.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2026
The violence then shifted to Brookhaven, where Mathews was ambushed and shot several times outside a business center.
—Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026
Some residents say frustrations over the guard eased after two members of the West Virginia contingent were ambushed just blocks from the White House, killing Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and severely injuring her colleague.
—Gary Fields, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
In 2023, thirteen members and associates of Midtown were charged in the killing of 24-year-old Trevon Richardson, a Hard Body Gang associate, who was ambushed and killed by six gunmen near the Lido Square Apartments in Pittsburg, authorities said.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 5 May 2026
Once there, however, they’re ambushed by the same angry writers roasting Val on social media.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 4 May 2026
Tragically, before Creasy even begins to conceive of what’s happening, he and his entire team are ambushed.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 30 Apr. 2026
Police said the officer was ambushed and shot outside department headquarters.
—Tim Fang, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
Anderson had been cooking when she was ambushed, the judge said, because there was still food in the oven when their bodies were discovered three days later.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2026
The violence then shifted to Brookhaven, where Mathews was ambushed and shot several times outside a business center.
—Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026
Some residents say frustrations over the guard eased after two members of the West Virginia contingent were ambushed just blocks from the White House, killing Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and severely injuring her colleague.
—Gary Fields, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
In 2023, thirteen members and associates of Midtown were charged in the killing of 24-year-old Trevon Richardson, a Hard Body Gang associate, who was ambushed and killed by six gunmen near the Lido Square Apartments in Pittsburg, authorities said.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ambushed
Verb
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Hezbollah, the Lebanese paramilitary force, has attacked Israeli troops and targeted northern Israel with rockets and drones.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
12 May 2026
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While the man was being attacked, the woman used a shopping cart to fend off the suspect and protect the male victim.—
Tim Fang,
CBS News,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Teachers and nurses are now eligible for enhanced workers’ compensation benefits if they are assaulted on the job.—
Andrew Brown,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
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Police said without apparent provocation, the suspect assaulted the man with a knife.—
Tim Fang,
CBS News,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Ruff said on Sunday after the Sabres waylaid the Bruins 6-1 in Boston.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Apr. 2026
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The Padres have gotten promising results from two reclamation projects in Walker Buehler and Germán Márquez, veterans who used to lead pitching staffs before Tommy John surgery waylaid them the past couple seasons.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The guard admitted he was surprised by the lack of questions about his medical status but voiced confidence that the issue would not continue into his NBA career.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
13 May 2026
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Moroney even surprised the night's guests with a special video message as the teens got ready.—
Hannah Sacks,
PEOPLE,
13 May 2026
Verb
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No candidate has polled higher than 20-some percent — a testament to how many are in the running, but also an indication that none of them has truly captured the zeitgeist of today’s California.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2026
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Any natural satellites of Psyche could’ve been ejected from the body by ancient impacts—or might’ve even been captured from deep space by chance encounters as the asteroid drifted through the solar system.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ambushed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ambushed. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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