as in ambushing
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waylaying
Verb
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Among the Builsa people, songs are still sung about retreating from slave raiders into rocky and cavernous areas, and then ambushing them.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Dec. 2025 -
Over the past two months, JNIM has stepped up attacks on fuel supplies, ambushing tankers on the roads from Ivory Coast and Senegal.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Vardan Kostanyan, who owns Laundry King with his wife, said the suspect walked into their laundromat on Tuesday and demanded the keys to their safe before attacking his wife.—
Lauren Pozen,
CBS News,
23 Jan. 2026
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He has also been accused of attacking authorities with explosives.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Jan. 2026
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“Waylaying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waylaying. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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