as in attacking
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
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Recent Examples of ambushing
Israel’s offensive, which lasted just over a month, was largely seen as a success for Hezbollah, with the militant group holding off Israeli advances and ambushing troops in the south of the country.
—
Callum Sutherland, Time, 10 Apr. 2026
Grass lines in 8 to 15 feet of water make a perfect location for ambushing their prey and hiding from other predatory fish like muskies.
—Derek Horner, Outdoor Life, 2 Apr. 2026
Rajabi was therefore reduced to meeting Khamenei by ambushing him after evening prayers in his compound.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 1 Mar. 2026
The man accused of ambushing West Virginia National Guard members near the White House in November, killing one and severely wounding another, is set to be arraigned in court on Wednesday.
—Steve Beynon, ABC News, 4 Feb. 2026
The man accused of ambushing two West Virginia National Guard members in a shooting in the nation's capital, killing one and wounding another, has pleaded not guilty to nine charges.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026
Among the Builsa people, songs are still sung about retreating from slave raiders into rocky and cavernous areas, and then ambushing them.
—Literary Hub, 5 Dec. 2025
Over the past two months, JNIM has stepped up attacks on fuel supplies, ambushing tankers on the roads from Ivory Coast and Senegal.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2025
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
Callum Sutherland, Time, 10 Apr. 2026
Grass lines in 8 to 15 feet of water make a perfect location for ambushing their prey and hiding from other predatory fish like muskies.
—Derek Horner, Outdoor Life, 2 Apr. 2026
Rajabi was therefore reduced to meeting Khamenei by ambushing him after evening prayers in his compound.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 1 Mar. 2026
The man accused of ambushing West Virginia National Guard members near the White House in November, killing one and severely wounding another, is set to be arraigned in court on Wednesday.
—Steve Beynon, ABC News, 4 Feb. 2026
The man accused of ambushing two West Virginia National Guard members in a shooting in the nation's capital, killing one and wounding another, has pleaded not guilty to nine charges.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026
Among the Builsa people, songs are still sung about retreating from slave raiders into rocky and cavernous areas, and then ambushing them.
—Literary Hub, 5 Dec. 2025
Over the past two months, JNIM has stepped up attacks on fuel supplies, ambushing tankers on the roads from Ivory Coast and Senegal.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ambushing
Verb
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Be sure that the rear lure always has a hook, as the bass typically key in on the ‘straggler’ when attacking a ball of bait.—
Derek Horner,
Outdoor Life,
16 Apr. 2026
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Other offences include attacking one victim on September 20, 2006 and another one in September 2016.—
Julie Sharp,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Joshua Mills, 32, was sentenced Thursday to five to 20 years in prison on one count of assault with intent to do great bodily harm and received an additional two to four years for two counts of resisting, obstructing or assaulting a police officer and one year for second-degree retail fraud.—
Joseph Buczek,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
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The 23-year-old was also sentenced to an additional year in prison for assaulting, resisting and impeding federal officers.—
Lily Carey,
Baltimore Sun,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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On Thursday, April 16, 2026, jurors were shown surveillance footage and audio from inside Horner’s delivery truck, including portions capturing Athena’s final moments before her death, PEOPLE previously reported.—
Christina Coulter,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
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Neville took his cameras behind the scenes at 30 Rock’s Studio 8H during multiple production weeks, capturing the frenzy of pitch meetings, writing night, table reads and dress rehearsals.—
Rebecca Keegan,
NBC news,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ambushing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ambushing. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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