lie in wait

Idioms  

1. Remain hidden while preparing to attack, as in The opposition was quietly lying in wait for the incumbent to make his first big mistake. This expression originally alluded to physical attacks and is now often used figuratively. [Mid-1400s] Also see lay for.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lie in wait

The rewards, for better or worse, lie in wait for those who take a side.

From Slate ● Apr. 21, 2026

Tough tests lie in wait, but that show of support did not go unnoticed.

From BBC ● Dec. 17, 2025

Not being able to lie in wait for your helper to enter the cell poses an important challenge to a satellite phage.

From Salon ● Nov. 9, 2023

Another long-standing local Halloween destination is the field of jack-o’-lanterns that lie in wait at the Whittier Narrows Recreation Area.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 18, 2023

The plan we’d come up with to test Ruth’s theory was very simple: we—the six of us in on it—would lie in wait for Madame somewhere, then “swarm out” all around her, all at once.

From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro

Related Words

• await
• delay
• expect
• hang
• linger
• remain
• stand by
• stay
• stick around
• watch