ambush
Americannoun
-
ambushes
plural
-
an act or instance of lying concealed so as to attack by surprise.
The highwaymen waited in ambush near the road.
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an act or instance of attacking unexpectedly from a concealed position.
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the concealed position itself.
They fired from ambush.
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those who attack suddenly and unexpectedly from a concealed position.
verb (used with object)
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ambushes,
present (3rd person singular)
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ambushed,
past participle, past
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ambushing
present participle
noun
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the act of waiting in a concealed position in order to launch a surprise attack
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a surprise attack from such a position
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the concealed position from which such an attack is launched
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the person or persons waiting to launch such an attack
verb
-
to lie in wait (for)
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(tr) to attack suddenly from a concealed position
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
ambushsimple
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ambushessimple
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have ambushedperfect
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has ambushedperfect
-
am ambushingprogressive
-
are ambushingprogressive
-
is ambushingprogressive
-
have been ambushingperfect progressive
-
has been ambushingperfect progressive
Past
-
ambushedsimple
-
had ambushedperfect
-
was ambushingprogressive
-
were ambushingprogressive
-
had been ambushingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of ambush
1250–1300; (v.) Middle English enbuss ( h ) en < Middle French embuschier to place men in ambush, literally, to set in the woods, equivalent to em- im- 1 + busch- (< Vulgar Latin *busca wood, forest < Germanic *busk- heavy stick) + -ier infinitive suffix; (noun) earlier enbusshe < Middle French embusche, derivative of the v.
Explanation
An ambush is a sneak attack. To ambush your enemy, hide and wait for him to come near and then pounce on him. In war or in backyards, an ambush is a great way to surprise someone. Ambush comes from a Latin word meaning “to place in a wood,” and hiding in the woods behind a tree is a classic starting point for an ambush. The actual attack is called an ambush, but ambush is also a verb, so you can ambush your mom by dropping water balloons on her head from a tree. Please don’t tell her where you got that idea.
Vocabulary lists containing ambush
Animal Farm
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"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" by Jeff Kinney
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"In the Spotlight," Vocabulary from the informational text
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
El Salvador has deployed special forces to Haiti after four of its soldiers serving in a UN-backed force in the Caribbean nation went missing following a gang ambush, officials said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026
Rather than actively chasing prey, the snake may have relied on ambush tactics, remaining concealed until another animal came within striking distance.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026
Mr. Sullivan set up what some top Israeli defense officials saw as an ambush by bringing nearly the entire top U.S. team on the line to weigh in against a strike.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
“I’m not going to ambush those guys, and I’m not going to ambush Glas,” Roberts said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2026
When we set up an ambush at the tipple gate, the miners going on shift got into the spirit of things, whooping and returning our imaginary fire.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
The filmmakers take their time revealing what long-ago crimes have so incensed Okuzaki as he more or less ambushes old comrades and superiors in their homes, confronting them with his accusations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
AFP spoke to his former business partner, ex-major Omar Rodriguez, who said that after a few desert ambushes last year, Quijano "paused" the operation.
From Barron's ● Dec. 21, 2025
Yet so much can derail them: fractured supply chains, staff blowups, quirks of locations and traffic, social media ambushes, even the unexpected, like COVID.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2025
And as climate change supercharges more storms, fires, earthquakes, and other inevitable tragedies throughout this year and beyond, prepare to have to deal with these ambushes as well.
From Slate ● Jan. 8, 2025
He survived fourteen attempts on his life, seventy-three ambushes, and a firing squad.
From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Think of it as a tax “prenup” with Uncle Sam that you settle up on your terms so the surviving spouse isn’t ambushed by higher rates down the road.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
Two batters later, Hernández ambushed a first-pitch slider.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 4, 2026
He backed Ramaphosa when the president was ambushed by US President Donald Trump during a showdown in the White House last year.
From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026
Braddock’s column was ambushed by French and Native American forces at the Battle of the Monongahela.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
Nearly a year later, French soldiers and their Indian allies ambushed a large British unit led by General Edward Braddock north of Great Meadows.
From "George Washington, Spymaster" by Thomas B. Allen
By age 26, she was the CSO’s political director, drafting legislation and tenaciously lobbying for those bills in the state capitol, often ambushing lawmakers in their offices.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
The design team, responding to the work’s fluidity, enjoys keeping us in the dark before ambushing us with unasked-for surprises.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2026
We’ve all seen the appalling videos of masked agents ambushing and abducting these migrants in the halls of New York’s immigration court as they’re leaving a hearing.
From Slate ● Mar. 27, 2026
Victor Caratini led off the top of the fifth, ambushing a first-pitch fastball and sending it over the wall in right-center for a solo homer and a 3-0 lead.
From Seattle Times ● May 30, 2024
By the time of the great Inca rebellion of 1536, the Incas had learned how best to defend themselves against cavalry, by ambushing and annihilating Spanish horsemen in narrow passes.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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