bushwhack

verb

ˈbu̇sh-ˌ(h)wak How to pronounce bushwhack (audio)
Definition of bushwhacknext
as in to assault
to take sudden, violent action against a remote area of the park in which gangs of hoodlums have been known to bushwhack lone joggers

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 bushwhack The best hiking pants earn their place in our packing list the hard way—through scree scrambles, sweaty switchbacks, and the kind of bushwhacking that tests each and every seam. — Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Mar. 2026 Perhaps the most surprising of these offerings, considering the cushiness of the surroundings, are the daily courses in primitive wilderness endurance, led by bushwhacking reality TV stalwart Bear Grylls’ Survival Academy. — Beth Landman, HollywoodReporter, 7 Jan. 2026 Squeezing through slot canyons and bushwhacking through scrub oak provided some Outside Lab-style abrasive durability that didn’t even leave a mark on the nylon ripstop material. — The Editors, Outside, 31 Dec. 2025 Eventually, after nearly two hours of bushwhacking, the Indigenous Guard comes to a series of verdant cliffs rising spectacularly out of the rainforest. — NPR, 16 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bushwhack
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bushwhack
  1. assault
  2. attack
  3. raid
  4. ambush
  5. storm
  6. strike
Verb
  • Becerril had been assaulted before his body was placed in the trunk, according to the CHP.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The women, who don't know each other, allege they were assaulted by Brand between 1999 and 2009 in locations including workplaces, a hotel room and a bathroom at a bar.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of assault
Verb
  • Egypt's president sought to reassure the public that the country wouldn't attack Yemen, and that the military support is limited to defending Saudi territory.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Back in 2023, Stevens revealed he was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome—a rare auto-immune disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks the nerves—and was working to relearn how to walk and use his hands.
    — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of attack
Verb
  • Thrifting, attending clothing swaps and raiding friends' and family members' closets are all ways to avoid buying new costumes.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Thieves raided a jewelry store in a crash-and-grab burglary in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood early Tuesday morning.
    — Desiree Evans, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of raid
Verb
  • El Salvador President Nayib Bukele is demanding the release of four Salvadoran military personnel ambushed by an armed gang in Haiti, warning that the gangs would face his wrath if the men are not returned alive and unharmed.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The man accused of ambushing two Philadelphia police officers, killing one and wounding another, now faces federal charges.
    — Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of ambush
Verb
  • Protests last week devolved into mayhem, with people setting fires, storming public buildings, smashing shop windows, looting and clashing with police.
    — ELITSA GADEVA, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Republicans stormed to their first majority in the House (54 seats net) in 40 years and recaptured the Senate with eight new seats there as well.
    — Ron Elving, NPR, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of storm
Verb
  • Depending on your tolerance for grand aims and liturgical self-seriousness, her latest album may strike you as extraordinary or unbearable.
    — Emma Madden, Pitchfork, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Naz Reid struck fire midway through the fourth, executing, in quick succession, plays on both ends of the court.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of strike

Browse Nearby Words

bushrangers
bushwhack
bushwhacked
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Cite this Entry

“Bushwhack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bushwhack. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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