assailant
noun
as·sail·ant
ə-ˈsā-lənt 
plural assailants
: a person who attacks someone violently
an assault by an unknown assailant
She could identify the assailant and his two accomplices, and she wanted to press charges.—
Jennifer Baumgardner
Jennifer BaumgardnerDetectives speculated that she may have been punched on the chin, perhaps knocked unconscious by her assailant.—Joseph Wambaugh
Joseph Wambaugh
Examples of assailant in a Sentence
the darkness prevented me from getting a good look at my assailant
Recent Examples on the Web
There have been cases of soldiers and guards being hospitalized and some have needed stitches after being stabbed or cut by knife-wielding assailants.
—Rafal Niedzielski and Czarek Sokolowski, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 June 2024
Police said the assailant wounded multiple people before being shot by responding officers, according to The Associated Press.
—Greg Norman, Fox News, 31 May 2024
Only occasionally do things get unbelievable, like when a shield maiden kills an assailant while sliding in between his legs.
—Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAY, 14 May 2024
At least one assailant opened fire at point-blank range, according to police and witness comments to the media.
—Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for assailant 
Rafal Niedzielski and Czarek Sokolowski, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 June 2024
Police said the assailant wounded multiple people before being shot by responding officers, according to The Associated Press.
—Greg Norman, Fox News, 31 May 2024
Only occasionally do things get unbelievable, like when a shield maiden kills an assailant while sliding in between his legs.
—Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAY, 14 May 2024
At least one assailant opened fire at point-blank range, according to police and witness comments to the media.
—Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for assailant
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'assailant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near assailant
Cite this Entry
“Assailant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assailant. Accessed 15 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
assailant
noun
as·sail·ant
ə-ˈsā-lənt
: a person who commits criminal assault
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share