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
Recent Examples on the Web
The assailants left Zeraati’s iPhone, brand-new AirPods, pricey watch, and wallet full of cash untouched.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 12 Apr. 2024
That scene, a single, three-minute take, is framed like a sacred medieval tapestry, with Oh’s assailants wielding sticks and pipes the way knights might hold spears.
—Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
Fuld, a father of four, chased his assailant after the stabbing before succumbing to injury, Israeli Ynet News reported.
—Anders Hagstrom, Fox News, 3 Apr. 2024
Detectives believe the slain victim and the assailant were having an argument that escalated quickly, Aaron said.
—Rebekah Riess, CNN, 3 Apr. 2024
Russian media has reported that specialized police units did not arrive until more than an hour after the shooting started, and then waited more than 30 minutes before entering the building, by which point the assailants had already escaped.
—Shane Harris, Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2024
Deputies saw the alleged assailant leave the area in a green van, according to the department.
—Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2024
In the city of Blagoveshchensk, in the Amur region of Russia’s Far East, a shopping center frequented by Central Asian migrants was set on fire by unknown assailants.
—Francesca Ebel, Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2024
The commotion alerted other neighbors in the building who came to their aid and helped to ultimately restrain the assailant, according to police and multiple news reports.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 27 Mar. 2024
Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 12 Apr. 2024
That scene, a single, three-minute take, is framed like a sacred medieval tapestry, with Oh’s assailants wielding sticks and pipes the way knights might hold spears.
—Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
Fuld, a father of four, chased his assailant after the stabbing before succumbing to injury, Israeli Ynet News reported.
—Anders Hagstrom, Fox News, 3 Apr. 2024
Detectives believe the slain victim and the assailant were having an argument that escalated quickly, Aaron said.
—Rebekah Riess, CNN, 3 Apr. 2024
Russian media has reported that specialized police units did not arrive until more than an hour after the shooting started, and then waited more than 30 minutes before entering the building, by which point the assailants had already escaped.
—Shane Harris, Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2024
Deputies saw the alleged assailant leave the area in a green van, according to the department.
—Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2024
In the city of Blagoveshchensk, in the Amur region of Russia’s Far East, a shopping center frequented by Central Asian migrants was set on fire by unknown assailants.
—Francesca Ebel, Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2024
The commotion alerted other neighbors in the building who came to their aid and helped to ultimately restrain the assailant, according to police and multiple news reports.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 27 Mar. 2024
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 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
assailant
noun
as·sail·ant
ə-ˈsā-lənt
: a person who commits criminal assault
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