as in to ambush
to lie in wait for and attack by surprise
a lonely stretch of highway along which unsuspecting tourists are often waylaid by gangs
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of waylay
Barbra Streisand was meant to show up to receive a honorary Palme d’Or, but was waylaid by a knee injury.
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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
See All Example Sentences for waylay
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
See All Example Sentences for waylay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waylay
Verb
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Ex-Rep Elaine Luria ambushed on camera over 2000% net worth spike during tenure.
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Al Drago / Getty Images Dockery was serving as a platoon leader in the Kapisa Province of Afghanistan in October 2012 when his platoon was ambushed by dozens of Taliban fighters, the White House said.
Verb
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His pace routinely bothered Sweden, including on one impressive solo run in the first half that produced a quality attacking scenario.
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The video then shows the woman throwing Martinez to the ground, grabbing her by the hair and repeatedly attacking her as bystanders try to step in and help.
Cite this Entry
“Waylay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waylay. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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