bushwhack
verb
bush·whack
ˈbu̇sh-ˌ(h)wak 
bushwhacked; bushwhacking; bushwhacks
1
transitive
: to attack (someone) by surprise from a hidden place : ambush
… the American banditti robbed trains and bushwhacked stagecoaches and settlers' caravans with equal enthusiasm for fistic violence and gunplay.—
James Gray
James GrayWilliams wears a pistol when he goes into the countryside and worries that someone might bushwhack him because he is outspoken.—Monty Brower and Bill Shaw
Monty Brower and Bill Shaw2
a
: to travel by foot through uncleared terrain
Other beaches have no access at all; you have to bushwhack to get to them, through terrain infested with rattlesnakes, poison oak, and other hazards.—Anthony Brandt
Anthony BrandtNo paths presented themselves and I bushwhacked through numerous fallen and dead trees.—Rob Nicholson
Rob Nicholson… decided it was best to "bushwhack," or wander off the path to get closer to the barred owl and possibly catch a glimpse of it.—Eric Koszalka
Eric Koszalka
b
: to clear a path or advance through thick woods especially by chopping down bushes and low branches
… it would allow them to locate their prey without having to bushwhack through the jungle for days or weeks.—Earth Island Journal
Earth Island Journal
bushwhacker
noun
Synonyms
Examples of bushwhack in a Sentence
The group bushwhacked through the jungle.
They used the controversy as an opportunity to bushwhack their political opponents.
Recent Examples on the Web
But their grueling three-hour journey of uphill bushwhacking in the rain ended in disappointment.
—Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Oct. 2024
On the fifth day of bushwhacking, Ernest-Beck lost his helmet.
—Corbin Reiff, Outside Online, 22 Oct. 2024
Three years ago, the county created a team to bushwhack through a thicket of bureaucracy to get the jail closed and the inmates diverted.
—Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2024
The first Europeans arrived in 1493, when Columbus bushwhacked onto the island’s shores.
—Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 15 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for bushwhack 
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Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Oct. 2024
On the fifth day of bushwhacking, Ernest-Beck lost his helmet.
—Corbin Reiff, Outside Online, 22 Oct. 2024
Three years ago, the county created a team to bushwhack through a thicket of bureaucracy to get the jail closed and the inmates diverted.
—Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2024
The first Europeans arrived in 1493, when Columbus bushwhacked onto the island’s shores.
—Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 15 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for bushwhack
Dictionary Entries Near bushwhack
Cite this Entry
“Bushwhack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bushwhack. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
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