lie in wait
idiom
: to hide and wait for the right moment to make an attack
The killer may have been lying in wait for him.
—sometimes used figurativelyNo one knows what lies in wait for us in the coming year.
Examples of lie in wait in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Regrowth is unlikely or impossible because no dormant growth points lie in wait under the bark on older wood.
—
Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 15 Feb. 2024
In moving water, the Torpedo makes a commotion in even the fastest-flowing rivers where giant smallmouth lie in wait for a hapless meal.
—Mark Modoski, Field & Stream, 4 Jan. 2024
Not being able to lie in wait for your helper to enter the cell poses an important challenge to a satellite phage.
—The Conversation, Scientific American, 14 Nov. 2023
Deep in the infamous burial grounds, Dr. Jack Griffin (also known as The Invisible Man), the Phantom of the Opera, the Hunchback of Notre Dame, Dr. Jekyll and his deranged alternate personality Mr. Hyde lie in wait.
—Abbey White, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 July 2023
Other infantry teams lie in wait with surface-to-air missiles to take down Russian helicopters.
—Missy Ryan, Isabelle Khurshudyan and Michael Birnbaum, The Washington Post, Anchorage Daily News, 19 July 2023
Just as ticks lie in wait for an animal to brush past, researchers waited for unlucky humans to discover and report their encounters.
—Scistarter Team, Discover Magazine, 12 July 2023
Belle Starr died on Venus, just before sunset on Feb. 3, 1889, shotgunned from the back by a sniper who had hated her enough to lie in wait for hours.
—Michael Farquhar, Washington Post, 13 May 2023
Aziza, a spirit and god cast into Osunde’s pages who likes to sweep people up and place them in a netherworld, is just the kind of being to lie in wait.
—Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2022
Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 15 Feb. 2024
In moving water, the Torpedo makes a commotion in even the fastest-flowing rivers where giant smallmouth lie in wait for a hapless meal.
—Mark Modoski, Field & Stream, 4 Jan. 2024
Not being able to lie in wait for your helper to enter the cell poses an important challenge to a satellite phage.
—The Conversation, Scientific American, 14 Nov. 2023
Deep in the infamous burial grounds, Dr. Jack Griffin (also known as The Invisible Man), the Phantom of the Opera, the Hunchback of Notre Dame, Dr. Jekyll and his deranged alternate personality Mr. Hyde lie in wait.
—Abbey White, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 July 2023
Other infantry teams lie in wait with surface-to-air missiles to take down Russian helicopters.
—Missy Ryan, Isabelle Khurshudyan and Michael Birnbaum, The Washington Post, Anchorage Daily News, 19 July 2023
Just as ticks lie in wait for an animal to brush past, researchers waited for unlucky humans to discover and report their encounters.
—Scistarter Team, Discover Magazine, 12 July 2023
Belle Starr died on Venus, just before sunset on Feb. 3, 1889, shotgunned from the back by a sniper who had hated her enough to lie in wait for hours.
—Michael Farquhar, Washington Post, 13 May 2023
Aziza, a spirit and god cast into Osunde’s pages who likes to sweep people up and place them in a netherworld, is just the kind of being to lie in wait.
—Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lie in wait.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Lay vs. Lie
Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.
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“Lie in wait.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lie%20in%20wait. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
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