Synonyms of waylaid

waylaid

verb

past tense of waylay

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

• ambushed
• attacked
• assaulted
• surprised
• captured
• ambuscaded
• assailed
• trapped
• tackled
• stormed
• stalked
• mugged
• hunted
• jumped
• struck
• sallied
• ensnared
• snared
• entrapped
• pounced (on)
• charged
• netted
• preyed (on or upon)
• mousetrapped

Example Sentences

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