EN

Synonyms for ambush

  • verb
  • noun

Most common

scupper waylay bushwhack

Synonyms by meaning

Verb

1. Lie in wait

lie in wait, bushwhack, waylay, lurk, scupper

2. Ambuscade — to attack by ambush; to waylay

ambuscade formal, jump

Other

still-hunt US

Noun

1. Trap

trap, lying in wait

Other

streak

Definitions

  1. v. 1

    To attack by ambush; to waylay.

  2. n. 1

    The act of concealing oneself and lying in wait to attack or kill by surprise.

Related words

Phrases
ambush predator lie in ambush

Forms

Plural
ambushes → traps, streaks…
Past participle
ambushed
e.g. ambushed → bushwhacked, waylaid, lurked, scuppered…

Example sentences

  • waylay Bandits often waylay travelers on the mountain road.

Popularity over time

Word1850 → 2019Trend
ambushrising
scupperrising
waylayrising
bushwhackrising

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

4 letters
jump1, trap1, lurk1
6 letters
streak1, waylay2
7 letters
scupper2
9 letters
ambuscade, bushwhack2

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (waylay2 = 2 syllables).