Thesaurus results for AMBUSHED

ambushed

verb

past tense of ambush

as in attacked

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

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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 ambushed On the fourth day, his team was ambushed and outnumbered by Vietnamese fighters. — Arkansas Online, 20 June 2026 On the fourth day, his team was ambushed and outnumbered by Vietnamese fighters. — ABC News, 18 June 2026 Ex-Rep Elaine Luria ambushed on camera over 2000% net worth spike during tenure. — FOXNews.com, 19 June 2026 In the suit, Ibrahim alleges that he was lured to the gym under the pretense of a challenge and was ambushed by Watson, a co-owner of the gym and two other men. — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 2 July 2026 People who waited years before treating their loss can feel ambushed by ordinary sound—the refrigerator, traffic, the dishwasher. — Angela Haupt, Time, 29 June 2026 Brock Lesnar ambushed Oba Femi, then accepted his Hell in a Cell challenge for SummerSlam. — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026 The facility hosts a memorial for past police horses and former Officer Tara O’Sullivan, who was ambushed and killed when responding to a domestic violence incident in 2019. — Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 2 July 2026 Al Drago / Getty Images Dockery was serving as a platoon leader in the Kapisa Province of Afghanistan in October 2012 when his platoon was ambushed by dozens of Taliban fighters, the White House said. — Faris Tanyos, CBS News, 18 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ambushed

Verb

Police said former professional soccer player Badea and another man attacked Zeraati before fleeing in a getaway car driven by Stana and then flying out of the country from Heathrow Airport.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 July 2026
The three men who attacked our CBS News Chicago crew near Adler Planetarium before pointing a gun at people in Brighton Park on Monday afternoon have been charged.

— Jeramie Bizzle, CBS News, 2 July 2026

Definition of attacked

Verb

The singer, who notably assaulted ex-girlfriend and Fenty beauty mogul Rihanna the night before the 2009 Grammy Awards, pleaded not guilty last year in the Diaw case.

— Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
One of the suspects also assaulted and sprayed paint on a person, and when officers tried to detain the suspects several blocks away at Turk and Taylor streets, other people surrounded and obstructed the officers, police said.

— Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 1 July 2026

Definition of assaulted

Verb

After making off with a substantial stack of cash from her job to fund a new life with boyfriend Sam Loomis (John Gavin), she gets waylaid by a rainstorm and stops to spend the night at the Bates Motel, run by awkward mama’s boy Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins).

— Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 9 June 2026
Then, minutes into the speech, Santos posted on X that he had been waylaid at the airport.

— Jake Offenhartz, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026

Definition of waylaid

Verb

But Fortune, who serves on the Hartford school board, surprised some insiders by collecting the signatures in a theme that has endured for years for her and others as women of color.

— Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 5 July 2026
Bill MacLauchlin surprised the bicentennial beard contest judges with a blue and white beard topped by a red moustache.

— Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 July 2026

Definition of surprised

Verb

The beautiful Grace Kelly captured the world's attention and imagination (and still does) for decades, but no one was more enamored by the actress than Prince Rainier III of Monaco.

— Freya Drohan, InStyle, 30 June 2026
The exchange was captured by Redman’s body camera footage during a stop involving immigrants.

— AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 30 June 2026

Definition of captured

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ambush

ambushed

ambusher

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“Ambushed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ambushed. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of ambushed

verb

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