ambush
Americannoun
-
an act or instance of lying concealed so as to attack by surprise.
The highwaymen waited in ambush near the road.
-
an act or instance of attacking unexpectedly from a concealed position.
-
the concealed position itself.
They fired from ambush.
-
those who attack suddenly and unexpectedly from a concealed position.
verb (used with object)
noun
-
the act of waiting in a concealed position in order to launch a surprise attack
-
a surprise attack from such a position
-
the concealed position from which such an attack is launched
-
the person or persons waiting to launch such an attack
verb
-
to lie in wait (for)
-
(tr) to attack suddenly from a concealed position
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
ambushsimple
-
ambushessimple
-
have ambushedperfect
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" by Jeff Kinney
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"In the Spotlight," Vocabulary from the informational text
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Its fantastical elements, from the ambush on Troy led by Matt Damon’s Odysseus to a giant cyclops that gobbles his men in a cave, were created primarily with physical effects for a more visceral impact.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Czesław is an ethnic Pole in the Red Army who escaped a ruthless German ambush.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
She told the trial, being overseen by judge Mr Justice Bennathan, that Khan was the victim of an "ambush".
From BBC ● May 8, 2026
Given its massive build, the snake was likely slow-moving and relied on ambush tactics, similar to modern anacondas.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 29, 2026
I wished I had the courage to go by the Service staircase and so by roundabout way to the restaurant, and there warn him of the ambush.
From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
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
The airline sets cheap rates but ambushes customers with pesky little fees for every single facet of the flying experience, a nickel-and-diming scheme that bends not even for that glass of water.
From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2024
Aid operations in the capital have also been hampered by ambushes along key access routes.
From BBC ● Mar. 28, 2024
Alexa runs down the stairs and ambushes me with a giant hug, too.
From "The House That Lou Built" by Mae Respicio
It was a safe haven from the Germans, who feared being ambushed by the Resistance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
The BBC has been shown footage from 22 June 2023 in which a group of migrants, who had just crossed into Evros and wanted to claim asylum, were ambushed by masked men.
From BBC ● Apr. 14, 2026
Two National Guardsmen who were ambushed on duty in Washington received Purple Hearts, one posthumously.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 25, 2026
“Flying through blizzard conditions, his squadron was ambushed by seven Soviet fighter planes.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 25, 2026
“Says he heard an intruder in his yard. Says he was creeping toward the house, but was ambushed by his dustbins.”
From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling
The turtles mainly hunt by hiding under water and ambushing their prey, he said.
From BBC ● Jun. 9, 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
Signs of desperate hunger are growing as people resort to consuming animal feed or ambushing aid trucks.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 16, 2024
Ten or so members of her company ran forward with black birds on sticks, ambushing Justice.
From New York Times ● Mar. 9, 2023
He pulled pranks like putting ketchup on people’s faces while they slept, or ambushing them with water balloons when they’d just woken up.
From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
