Synonyms of bushwhack

bushwhack

verb

ˈbu̇sh-ˌ(h)wak 

as in to assault

to take sudden, violent action against

a remote area of the park in which gangs of hoodlums have been known to bushwhack lone joggers

Synonyms & Similar Words

• assault
• attack
• raid
• ambush
• storm
• strike
• rob
• turn (on)
• set at
• charge
• descend (on or upon)
• set on
• fly at
• jump (on)
• set upon
• go in (on)
• rush
• invade
• assail
• beset
• round on
• sic
• swarm
• pounce (on or upon)
• tear into
• pitch into
• trash
• beat up on
• mob
• flank
• waylay
• surprise
• go at
• sack
• light into
• gang up (on)
• ambuscade
• barrage
• nuke
• bomb
• plunder
• bum-rush
• loot
• foray
• besiege
• blitz
• pillage
• bombard
• mug
• ravage
• buffet
• batter
• cannon
• plaster
• cannonade
• harry
• overrun
• bang away (at)
• envelop
• beleaguer
• press

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• protect
• defend
• cover
• secure
• guard
• shield

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of bushwhack

The best hiking pants earn their place in our packing list the hard way—through scree scrambles, sweaty switchbacks, and the kind of bushwhacking that tests each and every seam. — Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Mar. 2026

Perhaps the most surprising of these offerings, considering the cushiness of the surroundings, are the daily courses in primitive wilderness endurance, led by bushwhacking reality TV stalwart Bear Grylls’ Survival Academy. — Beth Landman, HollywoodReporter, 7 Jan. 2026

Squeezing through slot canyons and bushwhacking through scrub oak provided some Outside Lab-style abrasive durability that didn’t even leave a mark on the nylon ripstop material. — The Editors, Outside, 31 Dec. 2025

Eventually, after nearly two hours of bushwhacking, the Indigenous Guard comes to a series of verdant cliffs rising spectacularly out of the rainforest. — NPR, 16 Nov. 2025