Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

Thesaurus

ambush

noun

Synonyms and Antonyms of ambush

1 a setup in which hidden attackers lie in wait
  • Revolutionaries laid in ambush for the king along the route his carriage would travel.
Synonyms of ambush

surprise (also surprize), trap
Words Related to ambush

assault, attack, charge, sally

capture, entrapment, mousetrap, snare

hunting, stalking
2 a device or scheme for capturing another by surprise
  • a resistance leader who was the victim of an ambush
Synonyms of ambush

net, snare, trap, web
Words Related to ambush

enmeshment, entanglement, entrapment, envelopment

booby trap, catch, hazard, land mine, pitfall, snag

artifice, cheat, cheating, deception, double-dealing, duplicity, ploy, ruse, subterfuge, trick

ambush

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of ambush

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 of ambush

surprise (also surprize), waylay
Words Related to ambush

assail, assault, attack, storm, strike

jump, mug, pounce (on), tackle

charge, sally

capture, ensnare, entrap, mousetrap, net, snare, trap

hunt, prey (on or upon), stalk

Learn More about ambush

  1. See words that rhyme with ambush Dictionary: Definition of ambush Spanish Central: Translation of ambush Nglish: Translation of ambush for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of ambush for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ambush

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up ambush? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

homogeneous

play

of the same or a similar kind or nature

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. embolization 'the process by which a blood vessel or organ is obstructed by a material mass'

  2. oleaginous 'marked by an offensively ingratiating manner or quality'

  3. pansexual 'sexual desire or attraction...not limited to a particular gender identity or sexual orientation'

  4. symbiote 'an organism living in symbiosis'

  5. charlatan 'faker or fraud'

SEE ALL

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

alt-5b06e60511014
'Deprived' vs. 'Depraved'

Nobody wants to be either.

alt-5b05d8545c817
'Folksonomy': Let’s Get Organized

Tag the way you want to tag.

image564383649
12 Words from All Over the Map

Some words say exactly where they're from

alt-5b032d1aef0e9
'Ingenious' and 'Ingenuous': More Than a Typo

One's clever, the other's like a child

Ask the Editors

video-ghost-words
Ghost Word

The story of an imaginary word that managed to sneak past our editors and enter the dictionary.

image1760257654
2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

How we chose 'feminism'

video-literally
Literally

How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts.

video-his-or-her
Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

The awkward case of 'his or her'

Word Games

spring-flowers
May 2018 Words of the Day Quiz

We’re already at the end of May?!

Take the quiz
image1676440788
Words Used by Nabokov Quiz

How familiar are you with Nabokov’s unfamiliar vocabulary?

Take the quiz
Name That Thing
Name That Thing

Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!

Take the quiz
Word Winder's CrossWinder
Word Winder's CrossWinder

A game of winding words.

Play the game