as in ambushed
to lie in wait for and attack by surprise
a lonely stretch of highway along which unsuspecting tourists are often waylaid by gangs
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 waylaid
After making off with a substantial stack of cash from her job to fund a new life with boyfriend Sam Loomis (John Gavin), she gets waylaid by a rainstorm and stops to spend the night at the Bates Motel, run by awkward mama’s boy Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins).
—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 June 2026
Then, minutes into the speech, Santos posted on X that he had been waylaid at the airport.
—
Jake Offenhartz,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
Then, minutes into the speech, Santos posted on X that he had been waylaid at the airport.
—
Cbs New York Team,
CBS News,
2 June 2026
United’s on-field underperformance has waylaid their finances for years, so an inversion of that this season has been very helpful.
—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
Barbra Streisand was meant to show up to receive a honorary Palme d’Or, but was waylaid by a knee injury.
—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
23 May 2026
Ruff said on Sunday after the Sabres waylaid the Bruins 6-1 in Boston.
—
ABC News,
26 Apr. 2026
The Padres have gotten promising results from two reclamation projects in Walker Buehler and Germán Márquez, veterans who used to lead pitching staffs before Tommy John surgery waylaid them the past couple seasons.
—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Apr. 2026
Now Picard is zipping around the cosmos again, The Lord of the Rings is waylaid with prequels and spin-offs, and somehow, Palpatine returned.
—
Matthew Razak,
Space.com,
13 Apr. 2026
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 June 2026
Then, minutes into the speech, Santos posted on X that he had been waylaid at the airport.
—
Jake Offenhartz,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
Then, minutes into the speech, Santos posted on X that he had been waylaid at the airport.
—
Cbs New York Team,
CBS News,
2 June 2026
United’s on-field underperformance has waylaid their finances for years, so an inversion of that this season has been very helpful.
—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
Barbra Streisand was meant to show up to receive a honorary Palme d’Or, but was waylaid by a knee injury.
—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
23 May 2026
Ruff said on Sunday after the Sabres waylaid the Bruins 6-1 in Boston.
—
ABC News,
26 Apr. 2026
The Padres have gotten promising results from two reclamation projects in Walker Buehler and Germán Márquez, veterans who used to lead pitching staffs before Tommy John surgery waylaid them the past couple seasons.
—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Apr. 2026
Now Picard is zipping around the cosmos again, The Lord of the Rings is waylaid with prequels and spin-offs, and somehow, Palpatine returned.
—
Matthew Razak,
Space.com,
13 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waylaid
Verb
-
On the fourth day, his team was ambushed and outnumbered by Vietnamese fighters.
-
Ex-Rep Elaine Luria ambushed on camera over 2000% net worth spike during tenure.
Verb
-
Daga, Berto, Angel, Bronco Nima and Karmen Petrovic attacked El Grande Americano and took off their jackets to reveal their Los Perros del Mal T-shirts.
-
The prosecution said the two activists had incited a mob that subsequently attacked a security vehicle, seized the soldier and beat him to death with sticks and bricks.
Cite this Entry
“Waylaid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waylaid. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
