bushwhacking

verb

present participle of bushwhack
as in attacking
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 bushwhacking 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 After about an hour of following bushwhacking guides and slipping over an elephant trail twisting through the undergrowth, trumpets and guttural grunts pierced through the silence. — Chris Schalkx, AFAR Media, 20 Aug. 2025 Nesting mothers can be more defensive, and reaching her meant bushwhacking through dense vegetation with mosquitoes swarming for blood. — Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 2 July 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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bushwhacking
  1. attacking
  2. raiding
  3. assaulting
  4. storming
  5. ambushing
Verb
  • Electing to keep his No 5 on the field, the Brazil head coach made a subtle tactical tweak that saw Endrick enter the action and brought Matheus Cunha further to the left flank — which unlocked the attacking prowess of Vinicius Junior.
    — Mark Carey, New York Times, 6 July 2026
  • In patients with type 1 diabetes, the immune system starts attacking the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 6 July 2026
Definition of attacking
Verb
  • Want to stop raiding the fridge every night before bed?
    — Dr. Deepika Chopra, Flow Space, 16 June 2026
  • While our dreams of raiding Tay Tay’s closet will likely never come true, that won’t stop of from borrowing her style and shopping Swift’s favorite designer brands.
    — Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 16 June 2026
Definition of raiding
Verb
  • One of their bookshop employees was John Waters, later to become renowned as the taboo-assaulting filmmaker.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 3 July 2026
  • Kieran McCool, 57, was convicted of assaulting a community worker.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 July 2026
Definition of assaulting
Verb
  • They were easily beaten by Brazil in the final match of the group stage, and their head coach Steve Clarke came in for criticism after storming out of his post-match interview before stepping down from his role when their exit was confirmed on Saturday.
    — Charlie Scott, New York Times, 28 June 2026
  • Listen to Hoffman discuss storming out of the Emmys in the Bald and the Beautiful episode above.
    — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 23 June 2026
Definition of storming
Verb
  • Prosecutors, meanwhile, have alleged that Mangione meticulously planned the killing for months, documenting his thoughts in journals and traveling across the country before ambushing Thompson in New York City.
    — Stepheny Price , Michael Ruiz , Maria Paronich, FOXNews.com, 18 June 2026
  • Lit up by minor-leaguers ambushing first-pitch fastballs?
    — Levi Weaver, New York Times, 8 June 2026
Definition of ambushing

Browse Nearby Words

bushwhackers
bushwhacking
bushwhacks
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Cite this Entry

“Bushwhacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bushwhacking. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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