as in ambushes
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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Recent Examples of waylays
But after Frank waylays the Colombians’ shipment to the prison, Cortez is the fixer who gets called in immediately.
—
Noel Murray, Vulture, 7 Dec. 2025
Noel Murray, Vulture, 7 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waylays
Verb
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Thurman stars as The Bride, left for dead after her former boss and lover Bill ambushes her wedding rehearsal, shooting her in the head and stealing her unborn child.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
29 Nov. 2025
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In the finale, Aggie — who has already been on the run from the authorities after Nile framed her for the kidnapping and murder of Teddy Fenig — ambushes Nina at her gallery and tries to convince her that Nile killed Maddie and was also responsible for Teddy’s death.—
Max Gao,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Nov. 2025
Verb
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After going to a hematologist, Natalie learned that her blood basically attacks fetuses.—
Hannah Kirby,
jsonline.com,
6 Feb. 2026
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After a serial killer attacks a Florida State University sorority house leaving multiple sisters dead, the stakes have never been higher.—
Amanda Favazza,
Southern Living,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Waylays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waylays. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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