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 Synonyms for waylays
Verb
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In the Kill Bill movies, Uma 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.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But there are many other threats out there, like the evil wizard Vilgefortz (Mahesh Jadu) who attacks Yennefer’s forces in the climactic Battle of Montecalvo.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
31 Oct. 2025
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Some people worry that flu shots increase the risk of Guillain-Barre syndrome, a serious but rare disorder in which the immune system attacks nerve cells, causing muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis.—
Liz Szabo,
NBC news,
25 Oct. 2025
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“Waylays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waylays. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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