bushwhacker

noun

Definition of bushwhackernext
as in assailant
one who violently sets upon another bushwhackers have made that lonely stretch of road very dangerous

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 bushwhacker Chiles was an infamous bushwhacker who was reportedly connected to several murders. — Emily Curiel, Kansas City Star, 14 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bushwhacker
  1. assailant
  2. attacker
Noun
  • The child fought off the assailant and escaped; the suspect found himself in handcuffs.
    — Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Bishop is enlisted by new director Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) to help Gibbs on his quest to track down the unknown assailants who tried to kill him.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of assailant
Noun
  • Tear gas filled the area, and Nathaniel saw two attackers in the back of a pickup with automatic weapons.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Turn off Wi-Fi and unplug any Ethernet connection to help prevent potential communication with an attacker.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of attacker

Browse Nearby Words

bushwhacked
bushwhacker
bushwhackers
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bushwhacker.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bushwhacker. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of puissant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 23

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All