What does "ambush" mean?
The act of concealing oneself and lying in wait to attack or kill by surprise.
Ambush
noun, verb
noun, verb ·2 syllables ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The act of concealing oneself and lying in wait to attack or kill by surprise.
- Grammar: ambush is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: ambuscade, a lie, ambuscade, ambuscade.
- Useful contrasts: address openly, attack openly, interrogate calmly.
- Usage evidence: He lay prostrate, ready to ambush the invaders.
How to use "ambush"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "ambush" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "ambush" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "ambush" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "ambush" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "ambush" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "ambuscade" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "ambush", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The act of concealing oneself and lying in wait to attack or kill by surprise.
- 2 the act of concealing yourself and lying in wait to attack by surprise wordnet
- 3 An attack launched from a concealed position.
"Heaven, whose high walls fear no assault or siege / Or ambush from the deep."
- 4 The concealed position or state from which a surprise attack is launched.
"the Georgean hills, Whoſe tops are couered with Tartarian theeues, That lie in ambuſh, waiting for a pray:"
- 5 The troops posted in a concealed place, for attacking by surprise; those who lie in wait.
"And the ambush arose quickly out of their place, and they ranne as soone as he had stretched out his hand: and they entred into the city, and tooke it, and hasted, and set the citie on fire."
Verb
- 1 To station in ambush with a view to surprise an enemy. transitive
"By ambuſh’d men, behind their Temple laid, / VVe have the King of Mexico betray’d."
- 2 wait in hiding to attack wordnet
- 3 To attack by ambush; to waylay. transitive
"The contrast with the start was profound. In the opening 40 minutes Löw’s team had been ambushed here, the world champions run into a state of breathless trauma by a thrillingly vibrant Mexico attack."
- 4 hunt (quarry) by stalking and ambushing wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
address openlyattack openlyinterrogate calmlymaintain order
Example
"He lay prostrate, ready to ambush the invaders."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "ambush"?
Common synonyms include: ambuscade, a lie, ambuscade, ambuscade, ambushing, ambushment.
How do you use "ambush" in a sentence?
He lay prostrate, ready to ambush the invaders.
Etymology
From Middle English enbuschen, from Old French enbuscier, anbuchier (verb) (whence Middle French embusche (noun)), from Old French en- + Vulgar Latin boscus (“wood”) (whence also bouquet), from Frankish *busk (“bush”), from Proto-Germanic *buskaz (“bush, heavy stick”). Compare ambuscade. The change to am- from earlier forms in en- is unexplained. More at bush.