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Definition of bushwhack

bushwhack

/ˈbʊʃ.wæk/
bush · whack
Past Simple:bushwhacked
•
Past Participle:bushwhacked
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Present Participle:bushwhacking
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bushwhack Lexical Profile

bushwhack Game Scores & Validity

• verb

1

North American To attack or catch someone unexpectedly from a concealed position; to ambush.

Example

"The reporters tried to bushwhack the senator with tough questions as she exited the committee room."

2

North American To make one's way through dense woods or undergrowth where no trail exists, often by cutting away branches and brush.

Example

"After losing the main trail, the hikers had to bushwhack through thickets of alder for two hours to reach the ridge."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for bushwhack

• Nearby Words

bushshrike
bushtit
bushwalking
bushwhack
bushwhacked
bushy
busily

Word Origin & Etymology

Coined in the early 19th-century United States, combining 'bush' (underbrush or uncleared woodland) and 'whack' (to strike or beat), originally describing the act of clearing a path through dense undergrowth before shifting during the American Civil War to refer to guerrilla ambushes.

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Bushwhack. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/bushwhack
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