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
Relevance
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
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
Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 18 June 2025
She was frequently caught short by the playwright’s winking ambush.
—Han Ong, New Yorker, 22 June 2025
David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 1 July 2025
Two firefighters were killed and another wounded in northwest Idaho on Sunday when a gunman started a fire and then ambushed the responding firefighters, authorities said.
—Liz Kreutz, NBC news, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for ambush
Noun
These groups have deployed drones equipped with explosives, infrared sensors and thermal imaging to track human targets, enabling nighttime ambushes and coordinated assaults.
—Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 18 June 2025
She was frequently caught short by the playwright’s winking ambush.
—Han Ong, New Yorker, 22 June 2025
Verb
Roley, who was found dead near the scene after appearing to have shot himself, is suspected of lighting the brush with a flint fire starter before ambushing the firefighting crew in a mountainous area of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 1 July 2025
Two firefighters were killed and another wounded in northwest Idaho on Sunday when a gunman started a fire and then ambushed the responding firefighters, authorities said.
—Liz Kreutz, NBC news, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for ambush
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ambush
Noun
-
The onslaught of attacks on transgender rights fueled Missouri lawmakers to enact a law in 2023 that banned gender-affirming care, including hormone therapy, puberty blockers and surgeries, for minors.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
11 July 2025
-
From 21 March on, the gang launched attacks against several areas in the communes of Petite Rivière de l’Artibonite and Marchand Dessalines.—
Jacqueline Charles
July 11,
Miami Herald,
11 July 2025
Noun
-
Luthor — with the backing of the U.S. government — traps both aliens and political opponents in an off-site prison, located in a pocket dimension.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Vulture,
11 July 2025
-
Affluent families sometimes fall into the trap of overprotecting their kids, removing all struggle in the name of love.—
Anatoly Iofe,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
Verb
-
At times, the boy was restrained and choked and assaulted in his dorm room bed.—
Richard Winton
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
8 July 2025
-
Jurors watched footage of Combs viciously assaulting Ventura and saw photos of her injuries from various beatings inflicted during their relationship.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
8 July 2025
Noun
-
Wolves are killed across the Northern Rockies using steel-jawed traps, neck snares, packs of dogs and even snowmobiles.—
Jim Martin,
Denver Post,
27 June 2025
-
After hundreds of years of persistent persecution—one generation of farmers learning from the previous generation to poison, snare, and shoot wolves—the animals’ near disappearance around the turn of the 20th century was celebrated throughout Europe as the end of a long, bloody, and hard-won war.—
Jonathan C. Slaght,
The Atlantic,
11 June 2025
Verb
-
During the years following the mail bomb threat, Harold had also begun an intensive self-defence training regimen partly as a way of waylaying his debilitating state of constant paranoia.—
Hazlitt,
Hazlitt,
18 June 2025
-
But those plans were waylaid by red tape from state liquor authorities and construction difficulties, according to Caulfield.—
Evan Simko-Bednarski,
New York Daily News,
16 June 2025
Verb
-
Frantic runs burst through the music, while the last movement surprises with its sudden force.—
Sheila Regan,
Twin Cities,
11 July 2025
-
In early May 2025, oil briefly hit its lowest price in four years after OPEC and its allies (OPEC+) surprised the market with an accelerated output hike for the summer, a move Trump himself had previously called for.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 July 2025
Verb
-
Such news typically captures investors' attention—particularly when major players like Blackstone, Brookfield, and BlackRock’s infrastructure division are speculated to be involved.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
-
Amazon $180 $117 (35% off) Walmart $180 Target Perhaps the ideal outdoor security camera for Google households, the Nest Cam Outdoor has a handy magnetic mount and an expansive 130-degree field of view, and captures sharp 1080p video with HDR and night vision.—
Simon Hill,
Wired News,
11 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ambush.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ambush. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share