The suggestion in the Oxford English Dictionary, third edition, that the change is due to association with ambage, does not seem very likely. Given the earlier use in nouns, their appearance may be a by-product of shift of stress to the initial syllable.

Middle English enbuschen 'to place in hiding in order to attack by surprise, to hide (oneself) in order to attack by surprise,' borrowed from Anglo-French embuscher 'to place (in the woods) in order to attack by surprise, conceal, lie in wait to attack by surprise' (also continental Old French embuschier, Picard dialect embusquier), from em- em- + -buscher, verbal derivative of Picard bus, busc 'forest, grove,' going back to Old Low Franconian *būska-, going back to Germanic, ablaut variant of *buska- 'bush, thicket' - more at bush entry 1įorms with initial am- instead of em-, which first appear in the noun in the sixteenth century and the verb in the seventeenth century, are of uncertain origin. These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ambush.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. 2022 Now, as authorities continue investigating the case, allegations from prosecutors in a string of court hearings describe the ambush as part of something much broader: an escalating feud between street gangs in the area.ĭan Morse, Washington Post, The Philadelphia Police Police Department released surveillance video Wednesday of the brazen ambush shooting in the Mt. 2022 For instance, the Army’s investigation of the ambush in Niger initially placed blame on soldiers on the ground, even though military officials acknowledged that commanders had sent them on a mission without adequate backup or aerial surveillance.

Sam Burdette, The Arizona Republic, 14 June 2022 Four suspects connected to the shooting of an elderly man during an ambush attack in Memphis, Tennessee are being sought, authorities said Friday.įox News, 10 June 2022 In an interview in the 1960s, Pa Murray offered a surprising take on the ambush in New York. 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Selma Officer Moorer, 25, was shot and killed in an ambush while stopping at his apartment for his meal break at about 4 a.m.Ĭarol Robinson | al, 29 June 2022 The ambush on Gausman was part of a bigger breakout in the final game of the series, which ended an eight-game road trip with four wins and four losses.Īndy Kostka, Baltimore Sun, 16 June 2022 Five Phoenix police officers were shot and another four were injured by bullet shrapnel during that incident described by officials as an ambush turned barricade. 2022 The troops under his command organize in small, nimble units that can sneak up on and ambush the lumbering columns of Russian tanks. forces in Africa since the October 2017 ambush in Niger, in which four soldiers were killed. 2022 The attack, which left other Americans injured and several aircraft destroyed, was the deadliest attack on U.S. Laris Karklis, Washington Post, Watch the video to see Tyler ambush his mom in her garage with a surprise return. Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, In other videos, Toby Wilson is seen constantly looking over his shoulder, armed with a pool noodle, to check if Cosmo is about to ambush him.Īriana Garcia, Chron, 16 June 2022 Clusters of trees around farms in northern Donetsk provide cover for Ukrainian forces armed with antitank weapons such as Javelins and NLAWs to ambush Russian convoys, Clark said. Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2022 These predators can ambush prey as large as deer, kangaroos, cattle and wild buffalo. Mcdonnell And Nabih Bulos, Anchorage Daily News, 5 June 2022 Gone are the lumbering columns of tanks plodding through enemy territory that stretched supply lines and proved vulnerable to ambush in Russia’s disastrous attack on Kyiv at the beginning of the invasion. Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Gone are the lumbering columns of tanks plodding through enemy territory that stretched supply lines and proved vulnerable to ambush in Russia’s disastrous attack on Kyiv at the beginning of the invasion.

Ambushed definition