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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of waylay
An attempt to meet with him in late spring was waylaid, in part, by the fallout from Lewis’s disastrous all-hands meeting.
—
Clare Malone, New Yorker, 12 May 2025
Perhaps attention to other important technological advances in AI will be waylaid.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 5 May 2025
As other companies forecast price hikes and delay investments, waylaid by uncertainty around tariffs, Malhotra said Sparkz is poised to benefit.
—Annika Merrilees, Sacbee.com, 28 Apr. 2025
Without the mesh, the moisture evaporates in the dry air as the temperature rises each day, but with it, the fog would be only temporarily waylaid– providing valuable fresh water to people, before it’s treated and cycled back into the ocean.
—Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for waylay
Clare Malone, New Yorker, 12 May 2025
Perhaps attention to other important technological advances in AI will be waylaid.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 5 May 2025
As other companies forecast price hikes and delay investments, waylaid by uncertainty around tariffs, Malhotra said Sparkz is poised to benefit.
—Annika Merrilees, Sacbee.com, 28 Apr. 2025
Without the mesh, the moisture evaporates in the dry air as the temperature rises each day, but with it, the fog would be only temporarily waylaid– providing valuable fresh water to people, before it’s treated and cycled back into the ocean.
—Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for waylay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waylay
Verb
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The Angels ambushed Richard Fitts for three home runs in a calamitous six-run first inning, chasing the Red Sox starter from the game after only three outs in what ended up being a 7-6 loss.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
3 June 2025
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In London, Richie's men are arriving at O'Hara's office to ambush the ambush.—
Matt Cabral,
EW.com,
1 June 2025
Verb
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The pathogen is known as Fusarium graminearum, which can attack wheat, barley, maize and rice and sicken livestock and people, the FBI said in a court filing in Detroit.—
Ed White,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2025
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After the quake evacuation, the inmates were still outside of the cells when a group suddenly attacked guards, seized their weapons, opened fire and fled, said Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan.—
Brittany Williams,
Arkansas Online,
4 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Waylay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waylay. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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