Thesaurus results for WAYLAY

waylay

verb

ˈwā-ˌlā

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 waylay The decision came back to haunt the Braves, who were waylaid by injuries and underperformance and ultimately saw their streak of postseason berths end at seven. —

Ken Sugiura, AJC.com, 5 Feb. 2026 In addition, the multiple injuries have waylaid his development. —

Anthony Bettin, CBS News, 14 Jan. 2026 They were supposed to come together at the Palm Springs Film Festival earlier this month, but DiCaprio got famously waylaid while traveling back from his Jeff Bezos yacht vacation. —

Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 9 Jan. 2026 Damon takes center stage as Odysseus, the brave and cunning king of Ithaca who gets waylaid for 10 years trying to return home to his loyal wife, Penelope (Anne Hathaway), and dutiful son, Telemachus (Tom Holland), after playing a key role in the Trojan War. —

Oliver Gettell, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for waylay

Recent Examples of Synonyms for waylay

Verb

Then in Brookhaven, a homeless man was ambushed and shot several times while sleeping outside a shopping center on Peachtree Road.

— Landon Mion , Bill Melugin, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2026
The Twins ambushed Crochet with four runs in the first inning, then knocked out Boston's ace lefty with a seven-run second.

— CBS News, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026