ambush

American  

[am-boosh] / ˈæm bʊʃ /

noun

1. an act or instance of lying concealed so as to attack by surprise.

   The highwaymen waited in ambush near the road.

2. an act or instance of attacking unexpectedly from a concealed position.

3. the concealed position itself.

   They fired from ambush.

4. those who attack suddenly and unexpectedly from a concealed position.

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verb (used with object)

1. to attack from ambush.

ambush British  

/ ˈæmbʊʃ /

noun

1. the act of waiting in a concealed position in order to launch a surprise attack

2. a surprise attack from such a position

3. the concealed position from which such an attack is launched

4. the person or persons waiting to launch such an attack

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verb

1. to lie in wait (for)

2. (tr) to attack suddenly from a concealed position

Other Word Forms

• ambusher noun
• ambushlike adjective

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.

Example Sentences

ADEN, Yemen — The ambush spot was good: Single-lane street, just enough space to overtake.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

But Aoun described it as a deliberate ambush set for Lebanon and its army, designed to draw the Israeli military into another incursion.

From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026

He called Baptiste later that night to report an ambush.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026

In one case, human footprints appear alongside deer tracks created at the same time, supporting the idea of pursuit or ambush activity within the dune environment.

From Science Daily • Nov. 13, 2025

I used to ambush him on his way out, asking if I could walk with him, to which he’d reply, “Just need some time to think, honey.”

From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson

Related Words

• assault
• surround
• trap
• waylay