ambush
verb
am·bush
| \ ˈam-ˌbu̇sh
\
\
ambushed;
ambushing;
ambushes
Definition of ambush
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: to attack by surprise from a hidden place : waylay
Our troops ambushed the enemy units. … his caravan that season had been ambushed and shot at twice on the way down …— Rudyard Kipling
2
: to station in ambush (see ambush entry 2 sense 1)
Mr and Mrs Fyne ambushed at their window—a most incredible occupation for people of their kind—saw with renewed anxiety a cab come to the door.— Joseph Conrad
: to lie in wait : lurk
ambush
noun
plural ambushes
Definition of ambush (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: a trap in which one or more concealed persons lie in wait to attack by surprise
soldiers caught in an ambush Suddenly a shout comes down the line: "Contact front!" It's an ambush, with gunmen on both sides of the road.— Lev Grossman … it is plain he must have been as stupid with weariness as myself, and looked as little where we were going, or we should not have walked into an ambush like blind men.— Robert Louis Stevenson
2
: the concealed position of a person or group stationed to make a surprise attack
a group of soldiers lying in ambush … tanks alone are vulnerable to opposing infantry with antitank weapons, particularly at night when the infantry can more easily wait in ambush or approach unseen.— Neil Sheehan
also
: the person or group so stationed
All was then dead silence; for, loquacious as he was on other occasions, Captain Dalgetty knew well the necessity of an ambush keeping itself under covert. — Robert Burns
4
: the act of approaching or confronting someone with something unexpected
—often used before another noun ambush journalism… did not return calls or e-mails and was hostile when a television crew conducted an ambush interview several years ago.— Neely Tucker
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Other Words from ambush
Verb
ambusher
noun
ambushment
\ -mənt
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noun
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noun
Synonyms for ambush
Synonyms: Verb
ambuscade, surprise (also surprize), waylay
Synonyms: Noun
ambuscade, ambushment, surprise (also surprize), trap
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Examples of ambush in a Sentence
Verb
We have reports of enemy soldiers ambushing civilians on this road. the king's enemies planned to ambush the royal coach on the way to Paris and capture the kingNoun
Many soldiers were killed in the ambush. The soldiers were lying in ambush, waiting for the enemy to approach. a snake waiting in ambush for its next meal
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
The second shot came against Angels reliever Trevor Cahill, with Betts ambushing a first-pitch cutter with two outs and none on and drilling it into the Red Sox bullpen beyond the left field fence. — Alex Speier, BostonGlobe.com, "Mookie Betts homers in first, 15th innings as Red Sox outlast Angels," 31 Aug. 2019 But the Pirates ambushed reliever Carlos Estevez for two runs on five hits in the seventh, the key hits an RBI single by Josh Bell and a run-scoring single by Elias Diaz. — Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post, "Rockies switch things up, still lose to Pirates as slide continues," 30 Aug. 2019 Xabian Riley pleaded guilty Thursday to first-degree manslaughter and unlawful use of a weapon in the 2012 killing of 29-year-old Kenneth Ray Henry, who was ambushed on his front porch and shot nine times. — oregonlive.com, "Second man convicted in 2012 shooting death outside Northeast Portland home," 8 Aug. 2019 The semi-official Fars news agency said Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces ambushed the tanker, carrying 12 people on board, on Sunday. — Nada Altaher, CNN, "Iran seizes foreign oil tanker with 12 crew, state media says," 18 July 2019 Nearly 201 genes stood out, including those that coded for some of the Komodo dragon’s most unusual traits, like their ability to use pheromones to target and ambush prey. — Kelly Mayes, Science | AAAS, "How Komodo dragons survive deadly bites from other Komodos," 29 July 2019 Moments later, after rounding a corner near the kitchen, 27-year-old David Scott ambushed the officer, stabbing him multiple times in the face, head and arm. — Lyndsay Winkley, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Chula Vista officer stabbed in the face to receive one of policing’s most prestigious awards," 27 July 2019 Geragos said in court filings that Dermen needed such protection after a July 2016 incident in which a gunman ambushed a car carrying Dermen’s son, thinking Dermen was the passenger. — David Voreacos, Los Angeles Times, "Polygamists admit a $512-million fraud for fuel-tax credit," 22 July 2019 Aid group says one dead, six seized in Nigeria ambush: An international aid group said a driver is dead and six people are missing after suspected extremists ambushed a convoy in northeastern Nigeria. — Washington Post, "Prime minister resigns after Hague summons," 20 July 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The ambush strategy works well if the suspect is guilty. — Andrew C. Mccarthy, National Review, "Trump Was Always the Target of the Russia Investigation," 30 Aug. 2019 There are echoes of Matisse in his ambush of colors and patterns, and shades of van Gogh in his animation of the landscape. — Julianne Mcshane, New York Times, "Labor Day Art Guide: Summer Shows to See Before They Close," 29 Aug. 2019 The shootings were not fatal, and occurred during traffic stops, tense standoffs and in some cases ambushes while officers served warrants at homes. — Faith Karimi, CNN, "Sniper, ambush and standoffs: Officers shot in five states over the past week," 22 Aug. 2019 Prosecutors said Gargiulo’s alleged string of attacks ended in Santa Monica in 2008, when Michelle Murphy, 26 at the time, fought off a harrowing ambush and survived. — Alene Tchekmedyianstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, "Accused serial killer has no memory of one attack and denies others, defense says," 8 Aug. 2019 Buchanan was among four people shot outside a La Jolla house party last month, a drive-by ambush that left a 20-year-old Poway woman dead. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Former Madison High football player recovering after La Jolla shooting," 7 July 2019 After coasting along for weeks as the clear front-runner in the crowded 2020 field, the former vice president stepped into a slow-rolling ambush, yet seemed stunningly unprepared for the challenge. — Clarence Page, chicagotribune.com, "Column: Kamala Harris won the moment, but Joe Biden’s still fightin’," 28 June 2019 Murphy testified, describing for jurors the harrowing ambush more than a decade ago. — Los Angeles Times, "‘Boy Next Door Killer’ Michael Gargiulo guilty in knife attacks on Ashton Kutcher’s date, other young women," 15 Aug. 2019 Among those were troops killed in Taliban ambushes after being sent to reinforce besieged bases or checkpoints. — New York Times, "As U.S. Nears a Pullout Deal, Afghan Army Is on the Defensive," 12 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ambush.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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