bushwhacking

verb

present participle of bushwhack
as in attacking
to take sudden, violent action against a remote area of the park in which gangs of hoodlums have been known to bushwhack lone joggers

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 bushwhacking Because the sites are generally located at least 100 feet away from any trails, visiting them can require bushwhacking through swampy terrain or dense undergrowth, dodging branches and the occasional cobweb. — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 14 Aug. 2026 Nesting mothers can be more defensive, and reaching her meant bushwhacking through dense vegetation with mosquitoes swarming for blood. — Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 2 July 2026 The best hiking pants earn their place in our packing list the hard way—through scree scrambles, sweaty switchbacks, and the kind of bushwhacking that tests each and every seam. — Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Mar. 2026 Perhaps the most surprising of these offerings, considering the cushiness of the surroundings, are the daily courses in primitive wilderness endurance, led by bushwhacking reality TV stalwart Bear Grylls’ Survival Academy. — Beth Landman, HollywoodReporter, 7 Jan. 2026 Squeezing through slot canyons and bushwhacking through scrub oak provided some Outside Lab-style abrasive durability that didn’t even leave a mark on the nylon ripstop material. — The Editors, Outside, 31 Dec. 2025 After about an hour of following bushwhacking guides and slipping over an elephant trail twisting through the undergrowth, trumpets and guttural grunts pierced through the silence. — Chris Schalkx, AFAR Media, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bushwhacking
  1. attacking
  2. raiding
  3. assaulting
  4. storming
  5. ambushing
Verb
  • Researchers constructed a hollow fiber membrane lined on the outside with palladium nanoparticles rather than attacking PFAS in open water.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Broward Sheriff’s Office detectives are seeking the public’s help finding a woman accused of attacking a North Lauderdale store clerk with pepper spray earlier this month.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of attacking
Verb
  • An increasing number of Americans are raiding their retirement funds to tackle debt.
    — Carson Brunson, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Preventing undesirable baboon behaviour, like raiding food, is easier than trying to tackle it once it’s become engrained.
    — Will Barker, TheWeek, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of raiding
Verb
  • Among those arrested were individuals accused of choking their partners and assaulting their children, the sheriff’s office said.
    — Tanya Babbar, Houston Chronicle, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Selma Blair pleaded not guilty to assaulting a police officer and nurse after a Delta Air Lines incident.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of assaulting
Verb
  • The Gators were storming up the rankings behind first-year coach Jon Sumrall and igniting the chomp in the Swamp.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • There’s not a single version that doesn’t end with Tommy storming out of the room.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of storming
Verb
  • Two men are facing kidnapping and robbery charges after allegedly ambushing a buyer during a Facebook Marketplace transaction in Doral.
    — Manuel Bojorquez, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Videos from that day showed militants gunning down fleeing revelers, shooting the wounded at point-blank range and ambushing those seeking refuge in bomb shelters.
    — Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of ambushing

Browse Nearby Words

bushwhackers
bushwhacking
bushwhacks
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Cite this Entry

“Bushwhacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bushwhacking. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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