ambush 1 of 2

noun

Definition of ambushnext
1
as in attack
a setup in which hidden attackers lie in wait revolutionaries laid in ambush for the king along the route his carriage would travel

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in trap
a device or scheme for capturing another by surprise thinking that he was getting into his assigned limousine, the diplomat did not realize that he was the victim of an ambush as he was being lured into his captor's car

Synonyms & Similar Words

ambush

2 of 2

verb

ˈam-ˌbu̇sh How to pronounce ambush (audio)
as in to attack
to lie in wait for and attack by surprise the king's enemies planned to ambush the royal coach on the way to Paris and capture the king

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ambush
Noun
Kayce’s son, Tate (Brecken Merrill), was in danger after it was revealed that Tom Wheeler (Chris Mulkey), whom Kayce believed to be his friend, had orchestrated an ambush on his teammates Cal (Logan Marshall-Green) and Belle (Arielle Kebbel). — Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026 The goliath birdeater is an ambush predator and mostly feeds on earthworms, insects, frogs, and toads. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Sep. 2026
Verb
Hansen, who left NBC in 2013 but remains a leader in the pervert-ambushing space, has spoken about having considered a sting operation against Jeffrey Epstein in 2015. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2026 Investigators later determined the shooting happened in the area of Pontiac Lake Road and Summit Drive, where the four men were ambushed by several other men armed with assault rifles. — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ambush
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ambush
  1. attack
  2. trap
  3. assault
  4. surprise
  5. snare
  6. waylay
  7. capture
Noun
  • In Congo, where the outbreak has spread to seven provinces, responders have faced attacks on health teams, misinformation about the virus, a failure by locals to report symptoms and rebel violence that has limited access to treatment centers.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026
  • An inmate died in an apparent homicide Tuesday morning after an attack by another prisoner at California State Prison, Sacramento, state corrections officials said.
    — Michael McGough, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of attack
Noun
  • The room is closed off, equipped with monitoring traps and subject to follow-up inspections.
    — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The beginner's trap is expecting the Great Square to be compact and immediately obvious.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of trap
Verb
  • According to the Public Defender's Office, officers falsely claimed that Gibson had assaulted them by biting, punching, and wrapping a radio cord around an officer's neck, claims later refuted by video evidence.
    — Senior Editor, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Large private surveys of students at multiple colleges consistently estimate that 1 in 5 college women are assaulted while attending university.
    — Kaitlyn M. Sims, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of assault
Noun
  • To [React with exaggerated surprise] is to DO A DOUBLE TAKE — as in, to take out double letters (not consecutive ones, mind you).
    — Sam Corbin, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Buckhead is far from a tranquil neighborhood, so this little oasis is a welcome surprise.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of surprise
Noun
  • Chase and Tee Higgins turn potential incompletions into 6-point snares.
    — Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Video from Citizen App showed another person trying to keep the pit bull away and then a police officer restraining the dog with a snare pole, leading it away as first responders attended to the victim.
    — Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of snare
Verb
  • In the film Rap World (which Bensinger also edited), Bensinger, O’Malley, and Rahill play suburban deadbeats eager to make an album, each man waylaid by his own hubris and distractions.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026
  • But in the meantime, on their nut-selling quest, Zuriko and Gela are unfortunately — though perhaps inevitably, given that in these parts Murphy’s law is the only one strictly observed — waylaid by highway robbers.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of waylay
Verb
  • Each episode follows one garden over an extended period, capturing animal behavior rarely witnessed by human eyes – from raising families and defending territories to hunting, courting and surviving the changing seasons.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026
  • For decades, organizations have focused primarily on managing PFAS—capturing it, concentrating it and transporting it elsewhere for disposal or destruction.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of capture

Browse Nearby Words

ambuscading
ambush
ambushed
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Cite this Entry

“Ambush.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ambush. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on ambush

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ambush

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