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Synonyms

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.

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.

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

Across Afghanistan, thousands of unexploded devices lie in wait, the U.N. de-mining agency says.

From Reuters • Jul. 7, 2022

Fearing that Falconer might lie in wait, I took a roundabout route and came upon Mr. Pope and Sander as they were leaving the house.

From "The Shakespeare Stealer" by Gary L. Blackwood

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.