noun
ambush
AM-buush
noun
1
A surprise attack launched from a hidden position.
"The patrol walked straight into an ambush on the mountain road."
"Rebels set up an ambush along the only route through the valley."
verb
1
To hide and wait for someone in order to attack them by surprise.
"Guerrilla fighters ambushed the convoy at the bridge."
"She felt ambushed by the reporter's question at the press conference."
How to Use Ambush
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA surprise attack from hiding, or to launch one — it can also be used figuratively for catching someone off guard with a tough question.
Common pairings
walk into an ambush
set up an ambush
ambush someone with questions
Word Forms
ambushed past tense, ambushes plural, ambushes singular
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The patrol walked straight into an _____ on the mountain road.
Etymology
From Old French embuschier, "to hide in a wood," built from the Frankish word for bush — the same root that gives us "bouquet."