1
as in attacks
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
Relevance
2
as in traps
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 assaults
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 ambushes
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
28 May 2026
Even in areas not under its direct control, the widespread sympathy in rural areas allows JNIM to set up ambushes along the main roads and dominate the main supply routes into the capitals, especially in Mali.
—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
10 May 2026
Service members could face ambushes en route, and specialized units would need to extract the uranium.
—
Jonathan Lemire,
The Atlantic,
1 Apr. 2026
Once an octopus ambushes and bites its prey, the venom in its saliva paralyzes the prey, allowing the octopus to consume it.
—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
6 Mar. 2026
Hamas has used the tunnels to store weapons, hide hostages and stage ambushes of Israeli soldiers.
—
Samuel Granados,
New York Times,
12 Jan. 2026
In basic multiplayer fashion, there are bottlenecked spaces for ambushes, and everything loops together just fine for flanking.
—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
7 Oct. 2025
Aside from games like volleyball and dominoes, Gach says some children stage fake ambushes on one another while pretending to be government forces or rebel fighters.
—
Juliana Kim,
NPR,
5 Oct. 2025
Under an imperial decree, her captors become unlikely allies, guiding Jewish refugees through ambushes, shifting alliances and treacherous waters, while Sara confronts leadership, loyalty and love at a high cost.
—
Ben Croll,
Variety,
29 Sep. 2025
Chris Snellgrove,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 May 2026
Thurman stars as The Bride, left for dead after her former boss and lover Bill ambushes her wedding rehearsal, shooting her in the head and stealing her unborn child.
—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
29 Nov. 2025
In the finale, Aggie — who has already been on the run from the authorities after Nile framed her for the kidnapping and murder of Teddy Fenig — ambushes Nina at her gallery and tries to convince her that Nile killed Maddie and was also responsible for Teddy’s death.
—
Max Gao,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Nov. 2025
In the Kill Bill movies, Uma Thurman stars as The Bride, left for dead after her former boss and lover Bill ambushes her wedding rehearsal, shooting her in the head and stealing her unborn child.
—
Anthony D'alessandro,
Deadline,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
Cuba also maintains elite forces trained for counter-special-operations missions, guerrilla warfare, ambushes, sabotage and close protection of senior leaders.
—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
28 May 2026
Even in areas not under its direct control, the widespread sympathy in rural areas allows JNIM to set up ambushes along the main roads and dominate the main supply routes into the capitals, especially in Mali.
—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
10 May 2026
Service members could face ambushes en route, and specialized units would need to extract the uranium.
—
Jonathan Lemire,
The Atlantic,
1 Apr. 2026
Once an octopus ambushes and bites its prey, the venom in its saliva paralyzes the prey, allowing the octopus to consume it.
—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
6 Mar. 2026
Hamas has used the tunnels to store weapons, hide hostages and stage ambushes of Israeli soldiers.
—
Samuel Granados,
New York Times,
12 Jan. 2026
In basic multiplayer fashion, there are bottlenecked spaces for ambushes, and everything loops together just fine for flanking.
—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
7 Oct. 2025
Aside from games like volleyball and dominoes, Gach says some children stage fake ambushes on one another while pretending to be government forces or rebel fighters.
—
Juliana Kim,
NPR,
5 Oct. 2025
Under an imperial decree, her captors become unlikely allies, guiding Jewish refugees through ambushes, shifting alliances and treacherous waters, while Sara confronts leadership, loyalty and love at a high cost.
—
Ben Croll,
Variety,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
All seems lost when a group of Stormtroopers ambushes the crew, but IG-11 heroically sacrifices himself to save them.
—
Chris Snellgrove,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 May 2026
Thurman stars as The Bride, left for dead after her former boss and lover Bill ambushes her wedding rehearsal, shooting her in the head and stealing her unborn child.
—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
29 Nov. 2025
In the finale, Aggie — who has already been on the run from the authorities after Nile framed her for the kidnapping and murder of Teddy Fenig — ambushes Nina at her gallery and tries to convince her that Nile killed Maddie and was also responsible for Teddy’s death.
—
Max Gao,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Nov. 2025
In the Kill Bill movies, Uma Thurman stars as The Bride, left for dead after her former boss and lover Bill ambushes her wedding rehearsal, shooting her in the head and stealing her unborn child.
—
Anthony D'alessandro,
Deadline,
1 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ambushes
Noun
-
Financial transactions, credential sharing, file sharing, executive instructions and vendor relationships are at risk due to AI attacks.
-
Two people were killed and seven others injured in Russian attacks on the northeastern Kharkiv region over the previous 24 hours, regional head Oleh Syniehubov said Friday.
Noun
-
To keep them from being a problem indoors in the first place, hang sticky traps in the garage near entrances to your home.
-
Rather than relying solely on poison, the researchers recommend combining multiple control methods, including sealing entry points, improving sanitation, removing food sources and using traps.
Verb
-
Anyone who assaults law enforcement will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
-
Any passenger who assaults, threatens, intimidates or interferes with airline crew members can lead to penalties of up to $43,658 per violation, according to the FAA.
Noun
-
Further down the street, a troupe of drummers held court with a mix of snares and bass.
-
Studio engineers often added percussion accents like shakers or tambourines, or handclaps layered on the snares, using a combination of texture and mathematical precision to keep heads and hips moving.
Verb
-
What surprises people most is the diversity of the landscape here.
-
This is where the junk drawer surprises people.
Cite this Entry
“Ambushes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ambushes. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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