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
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 ambushes
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
Two months later, the group launched more than two dozen attacks across northeastern Syria, relying on a combination of guerrilla tactics, including small arms fire, ambushes, assassinations, and improvised explosive devices targeting military checkpoints and government vehicles.
—Caroline Rose, Foreign Affairs, 18 Sep. 2025
The mission has also lost two members of its force in gang ambushes; while one has been confirmed dead the other is still been regarded as missing even though local media has reported him as dead.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 1 Sep. 2025
Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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
Two months later, the group launched more than two dozen attacks across northeastern Syria, relying on a combination of guerrilla tactics, including small arms fire, ambushes, assassinations, and improvised explosive devices targeting military checkpoints and government vehicles.
—Caroline Rose, Foreign Affairs, 18 Sep. 2025
The mission has also lost two members of its force in gang ambushes; while one has been confirmed dead the other is still been regarded as missing even though local media has reported him as dead.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 1 Sep. 2025
Verb
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
-
Kabul wants to hedge against its deteriorating relationship with its former patron Islamabad, which accuses the Taliban of harboring a separate but allied group that has carried out deadly attacks inside Pakistan.—
Happymon Jacob,
Time,
16 Oct. 2025
-
But Raducanu’s identity has been harder to maintain — or even define — against the best and most devastating attacks on the WTA Tour.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
GahnSmith is joined by Jay Frandsen, a Parks ecosystem scientist conducting water surveys and checking camera traps along the journey.—
Chloe Berge,
AFAR Media,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Even experienced users can fall for these traps.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The White House told ProPublica that anyone who assaults federal immigration agents would be prosecuted.—
Nicole Foy,
ProPublica,
18 Oct. 2025
-
The Kid also physically assaults Apollonia at one point.—
Ross Raihala,
Twin Cities,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
But those Prince-like snares are rounded out with a full string orchestra of Swedish musicians.—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
But every now and then a recipe surprises us.—
Catherine Jessee,
Southern Living,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Kendall Jenner surprises students from UT Austin with 818 Tequila and Uber Eats tailgate supplies ahead of Tailgate with 818 in Dallas.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ambushes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ambushes. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share