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
These are the chapters that feature the merry trickster of the forest, Tom Bombadil, a classic fiddle-dee-dee-mischief type who waylays the hobbits at the onset of their quest.
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Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 25 Mar. 2026
Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 25 Mar. 2026
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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Botulism occurs when people eat food contaminated with botulinum toxin, a potent toxin that attacks the body’s nervous system.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
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Global oil prices have surged as Iran tightens its grip on the Strait of Hormuz and attacks regional energy infrastructure, pushing Brent crude to around $107 a barrel, more than 45 percent higher than before the war began.—
Sam Stevenson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Waylays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waylays. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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