as in attacking
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 bushwhacking
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
After about an hour of following bushwhacking guides and slipping over an elephant trail twisting through the undergrowth, trumpets and guttural grunts pierced through the silence.
—Chris Schalkx, AFAR Media, 20 Aug. 2025
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
After about an hour of following bushwhacking guides and slipping over an elephant trail twisting through the undergrowth, trumpets and guttural grunts pierced through the silence.
—Chris Schalkx, AFAR Media, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bushwhacking
Verb
-
Rather than attacking all rapidly growing cells, as chemotherapy does, the drug targets a key cancer-driving pathway known as KRAS, which is involved in more than 90% of pancreatic tumors.—
Luzdelia Caballero,
CBS News,
5 June 2026
-
Akindahunsi is accused of attacking several women the night of May 28.—
Summer Lin,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Even rural birds manage to find some human items, most likely by raiding farm bins or garages.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
2 June 2026
-
At 13-years-old, Blue Ivy Carter is already raiding one of the best closets in the game.—
Alex Apatoff,
PEOPLE,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
While federal law dictates up to 20 years in prison or assaulting pilots or flight attendants, there is no nationwide standard for public transit operators.—
Caitlin McGlade,
Charlotte Observer,
4 June 2026
-
John Gotti's grandson, Carmine Gotti Agnello, was arrested Wednesday for allegedly assaulting a woman, Nassau County Police said.—
Jesse Zanger,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
For all the prior cinematic depictions of storming bunkers and camaraderie under fire, Pressure offers us the quiet heroism of rational restraint in the figure of James Stagg, who weathered his inner storms and bore the courage to be disliked.—
Daniel Jonah Wolpert,
NPR,
29 May 2026
-
This revolutionary fervor culminated in both Fidel and Raúl, with roughly 140 rebel revolutionaries in tow, storming Cuba’s second-largest military installation, the Moncada Barracks, in July 1953.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
Arizona’s offense set the tone for the night by absolutely ambushing Ray, needing just six pitches to plate four runs.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
19 May 2026
-
Atletico’s path to the semifinals has been taking first-leg leads — ambushing Tottenham at home then winning at Barcelona — before riding out severe pressure in the return game.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bushwhacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bushwhacking. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
