Thesaurus results for WAYLAID

waylaid

verb

past tense of waylay

as in ambushed

to lie in wait for and attack by surprise a lonely stretch of highway along which unsuspecting tourists are often waylaid by gangs

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 waylaid With all that swirling around them, the presidential motorcade meant to bring Kate, Hal, Grace, and Todd back to Air Force One gets waylaid by protesters blocking the entrance to Heathrow airport. — Adam B. Vary, IndieWire, 15 Oct. 2026 In the film Rap World (which Bensinger also edited), Bensinger, O’Malley, and Rahill play suburban deadbeats eager to make an album, each man waylaid by his own hubris and distractions. — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026 But in the meantime, on their nut-selling quest, Zuriko and Gela are unfortunately — though perhaps inevitably, given that in these parts Murphy’s law is the only one strictly observed — waylaid by highway robbers. — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026 On Stranger Tides featured Depp but no Knightley or Bloom) before both Depp and Rush were waylaid by legal troubles. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Sep. 2026 That past haunts Léo throughout his week-long trip to the City of Lights, where he’s waylaid before heading to Italy to deal with the death of his estranged and supposedly wealthy father. — Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2026 But that undertaking, primarily fueled by private dollars, has been waylaid due to getting a needed booster flight-qualified. — Leonard David, Space.com, 3 Sep. 2026 What had been perhaps Buxton’s finest overall season has been waylaid by a hip impingement that’s twice landed him on the IL and wrecked his production even when on the field since the start of July. — Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 Or the family might have simply gotten waylaid by other plans. — R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 27 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for waylaid

Verb

Three planeloads of soldiers from El Salvador landed in Haiti on Friday, days after the Central American nation’s president angrily threatened Haitian gangs that ambushed a group of Salvadoran soldiers over the past weekend who remain missing.

— Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026
Task Force were returning to their camp Sunday in a white all-terrain Toyota when they were ambushed by heavily armed criminals, according to the Salvadoran military.

— Widlore Mérancourt, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of ambushed

Verb

The men were returning to camp when their white armored Toyota Land Cruiser was attacked by members of the two Haitian gangs.

— Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026
After Israel accepted its meager portion, Arabs attacked and retained a significant part of the land that was to be divided between Jews and Arabs.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of attacked

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wayfaring

waylaid

waylay

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

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Synonyms of waylaid

verb

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