To cut through dense vegetation or forest with machete-like strokes; to ambush or attack from hiding.
From Dutch/Low German 'bosch' (bush) plus English 'whack' (to hit). Term originates from colonial-era frontier fighting in North America.
Bushwhacking shaped American military history—it was the tactic that terrified organized European soldiers, who were trained for open-field battles but faced hidden attackers in unfamiliar terrain.
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