Explore Waylay through 3 example sentences from English, with an explanation of the meaning and related words like ambush or scupper. Ideal for language learners, writers and word enthusiasts.
Waylay meaning
- To lie in wait for and attack from ambush.
- To accost or intercept unexpectedly.
Using Waylay
- The main meaning on this page is: To lie in wait for and attack from ambush. | To accost or intercept unexpectedly.
- Useful related words include: ambush, scupper, bushwhack, lurk.
- In the example corpus, waylay often appears in combinations such as: waylay the.
Context around Waylay
- Average sentence length in these examples: 22.7 words
- Position in the sentence: 1 start, 2 middle, 0 end
- Sentence types: 2 statements, 1 questions, 0 exclamations
Corpus analysis for Waylay
- In this selection, "waylay" usually appears in the middle of the sentence. The average example has 22.7 words, and this corpus slice is mostly made up of statements.
- Around the word, glitch and discharged stand out and add context to how "waylay" is used.
- Recognizable usage signals include it glitch waylay the aberdeen and she would waylay discharged sailors. That gives this page its own corpus information beyond isolated example sentences.
- By corpus frequency, "waylay" sits close to words such as aaai, aani and aarne, which helps place it inside the broader word index.
Example types with waylay
The same corpus examples are grouped by length and sentence type, making it easier to see the contexts in which the word appears:
Could council’s IT glitch waylay the Aberdeen bus gate vote? (11 words)
A legal hearing which could waylay the construction of a new £50 million Dons stadium has commenced in Edinburgh this morning. (21 words)
Another has it that Betty Mundy lived in a cottage there and that she would waylay discharged sailors walking along the Sailor's Lane, murdering them for their wages or leading them to a press gang. (36 words)
Another has it that Betty Mundy lived in a cottage there and that she would waylay discharged sailors walking along the Sailor's Lane, murdering them for their wages or leading them to a press gang. (36 words)
A legal hearing which could waylay the construction of a new £50 million Dons stadium has commenced in Edinburgh this morning. (21 words)
Could council’s IT glitch waylay the Aberdeen bus gate vote? (11 words)
Could council’s IT glitch waylay the Aberdeen bus gate vote? (11 words)
Example sentences (3)
Another has it that Betty Mundy lived in a cottage there and that she would waylay discharged sailors walking along the Sailor's Lane, murdering them for their wages or leading them to a press gang.
Could council’s IT glitch waylay the Aberdeen bus gate vote?
A legal hearing which could waylay the construction of a new £50 million Dons stadium has commenced in Edinburgh this morning.
Common combinations with waylay
These word pairs occur most frequently in English texts: