Question

ambush

Accepted Answer

am‧bush /ˈæmbʊʃ/ noun [uncountable and countable]
a sudden attack on someone by people who have been hiding and waiting for them, or the place where this happens:
The soldiers were killed in an ambush.
In winter the danger of ambush is much reduced.
lie/wait in ambush
Armed police lay in ambush behind the hedge.

—ambush verb [transitive]:
Everybody thought our train would be ambushed, but we got out safely.

THESAURUS
attack noun [uncountable and countable] an act of using weapons against an enemy in a war: The US was threatening to launch an attack on Iran. | The men had been carrying out rocket attacks on British forces. | Bombs have been falling throughout the night, and the city is still under attack (=being attacked).
invasion noun [uncountable and countable] an occasion when an army enters a country and tries to take control of it: The Allies began their invasion of Europe. | The threat of foreign invasion is very real.
raid noun [countable] a short attack on a place by soldiers or planes, intended to cause damage but not take control: an air raid | NATO warplanes carried out a series of bombing raids on the city. | The village has been the target of frequent raids by rebel groups.
strike noun [countable] a sudden military attack, especially after a serious disagreement: Senior Israeli officials warned that they were still considering a military strike. | the possibility of a nuclear strike
assault noun [countable] a military attack intended to take control of a city, area, or building controlled by an enemy: The final military assault on Kwangju began at 3 am on May 27. | Hitler launched an all-out assault (=using as many soldiers, weapons, planes etc as possible) on Russia.
ambush noun [uncountable and countable] a sudden attack by people who have been waiting and hiding, especially an attack on a vehicle or people who are travelling somewhere: Five soldiers were shot in the back and killled in the ambush. | Enemy forces waiting in ambush opened fire on the vehicle.
counterattack noun [uncountable and countable] a military attack made in response to an attack by an enemy: Government forces launched a counterattack against the guerillas. | If they successfully occupied the city, they would need to be capable of defending it against enemy counterattack.
onslaught noun [countable] formal a large violent attack by an army: In 1544 there was a full-scale onslaught on France, in which the English took Boulogne. | The troops were preparing for another onslaught against the enemy.

Attack Noun Ambush Uncountable Countable Military Sudden People