Meaning & use

waylaid

verb·Advanced

Stopped and delayed someone unexpectedly, often to rob, question, or talk with them.

See it in a sentence

Reporters waylaid the senator outside the courthouse to ask about the verdict.

Bandits once waylaid travelers on this mountain road to steal their goods.

A note on using this word

Waylaid is the past tense of 'waylay'; it often implies ambushing someone by lying in wait.

Words with a similar meaning

ambushedintercepted

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

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