Meaning & use

ambush

noun·Academic

A surprise attack launched from a concealed position against an unsuspecting target.

See it in a sentence

The soldiers set up an ambush along the narrow mountain road and waited for nightfall.

Rebels staged an ambush on the supply convoy just outside the small border town.

A note on using this word

Ambush can also function as a verb, as in 'they ambushed the patrol'; the noun often follows 'set' or 'lay.'

Words with a similar meaning

surprise attacktrap

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Another way to use it

2. verb

To attack someone suddenly from a hidden position without warning.

Thieves ambushed the merchant's cart as it passed through the forest at dusk.

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