Thesaurus results for WAYLAY

waylay

verb

ˈwā-ˌlā

Definition of waylay

as in to ambush

to lie in wait for and attack by surprise a lonely stretch of highway along which unsuspecting tourists are often waylaid by gangs

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of waylay After making off with a substantial stack of cash from her job to fund a new life with boyfriend Sam Loomis (John Gavin), she gets waylaid by a rainstorm and stops to spend the night at the Bates Motel, run by awkward mama’s boy Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins). — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 9 June 2026 Then, minutes into the speech, Santos posted on X that he had been waylaid at the airport. — Cbs New York Team, CBS News, 2 June 2026 United’s on-field underperformance has waylaid their finances for years, so an inversion of that this season has been very helpful. — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 27 May 2026 Barbra Streisand was meant to show up to receive a honorary Palme d’Or, but was waylaid by a knee injury. — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 23 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for waylay

Recent Examples of Synonyms for waylay

Verb

As Cole is driving Tibu back from a passing-of-the-torch party, the two are ambushed, and Tibu is killed.

— Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026
Don’t ambush passengers while the aisles are crowded or before everyone knows which seats are occupied.

— Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of ambush

Verb

Another warehouse belonging to the Russian e-commerce giant Wildberries was also attacked to the east of Moscow, Vorobyov said, with a fire breaking out at the facility.

— David Brennan, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026
Crossing threat Undoubtedly, Coventry’s best attacking moments come from wide positions.

— Liam Tharme, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of attack

Browse Nearby Words

waylaid

waylay

waylaying

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Waylay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waylay. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of waylay

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on waylay

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

prowess

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes