ASSAIL Synonyms: 122 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'assail' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of assail are assault , attack , bombard , and storm . While all these words mean "to make an onslaught upon," assail implies attempting to break down resistance by repeated blows or shots. // assailed the enemy with artillery fire

Q: When is it sensible to use 'assault' instead of 'assail'?

The words assault and assail are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, assault suggests a direct attempt to overpower by suddenness and violence of onslaught. // commandos assaulted the building from all sides

Q: When can 'attack' be used instead of 'assail'?

In some situations, the words attack and assail are roughly equivalent. However, attack implies taking the initiative in a struggle. // plan to attack the town at dawn

Q: When is 'bombard' a more appropriate choice than 'assail'?

The words bombard and assail can be used in similar contexts, but bombard applies to attacking with bombs or shells. // bombarded the city nightly

Q: When could 'storm' be used to replace 'assail'?

The synonyms storm and assail are sometimes interchangeable, but storm implies attempting to break into a defended position. // preparing to storm the fortress

assail

verb

ə-ˈsāl

Definition of assail

as in to attack

to criticize harshly and usually publicly the union organizers assailed the chemical company for failing to provide a safe working environment

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to assault

to take sudden, violent action against the small birds assailed the larger one that had threatened their nest

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb assail contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of assail are assault, attack, bombard, and storm. While all these words mean "to make an onslaught upon," assail implies attempting to break down resistance by repeated blows or shots.

assailed the enemy with artillery fire

When is it sensible to use assault instead of assail?

The words assault and assail are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, assault suggests a direct attempt to overpower by suddenness and violence of onslaught.

commandos assaulted the building from all sides

When can attack be used instead of assail?

In some situations, the words attack and assail are roughly equivalent. However, attack implies taking the initiative in a struggle.

plan to attack the town at dawn

When is bombard a more appropriate choice than assail?

The words bombard and assail can be used in similar contexts, but bombard applies to attacking with bombs or shells.

bombarded the city nightly

When could storm be used to replace assail?

The synonyms storm and assail are sometimes interchangeable, but storm implies attempting to break into a defended position.

preparing to storm the fortress

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of assail Trump has personally assailed justices who rule against him in stark terms. — Gene Johnson, Fortune, 24 July 2026 Even the urologist’s office has athletic jerseys hanging in the treatment room so that men’s masculinity will not be assailed. — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 16 July 2026 Roberts once signed on to a Kagan dissent that assailed the shadow docket. — Ken B. Morales, ProPublica, 1 July 2026 Lander has assailed Goldman for accepting AIPAC’s endorsement and for voting to send military aid to Israel, which Lander has vowed to oppose. — Russell Berman, The Atlantic, 7 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for assail

Recent Examples of Synonyms for assail

Verb

Tzolis plays the pass and, because the Arsenal players are attacking the diagonal, there are a number of receivers available.

— Jon Mackenzie, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
In perhaps the coolest reversal in the show thus far, the Lanterns are attacked with guns that produce darkness, which manifests here as smoke but prevents them from seeing or creating light constructs.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of attack

Verb

An attack on two women outside a Lavender Heights nightclub early Monday, days after a member of the city’s LGBTQ community was assaulted, stoked new safety concerns in the midtown Sacramento neighborhood.

— Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 8 Sep. 2026
Spence, who pleaded guilty to assault in aid of racketeering and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, could face between 24 and 27-and-a-half years behind bars.

— John Annese, New York Daily News, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of assault

Verb

Police raided the home several times but failed to find the painting.

— Sergio Farella, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
In the footage, players follow the story of Jason and Lucia, a couple living in the fictional Vice City, who are picking up drugs, and their mission is thwarted by the police, who begin to raid the place.

— Moises Mendez II, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of raid

Verb

Historically, the United States has sent mixed messages to Europeans, encouraging them to step up but then scolding them for seeking autonomy.

— JENNIFER KAVANAGH, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2026
In fact, during testing, the handheld triggered nostalgic memories of playing Final Fantasy Legend and Mario Land 2 on long car rides to my grandparents' house, but without the eye strain and being scolded for playing in the dark as the sun set.

— Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of scold

Verb

Minnesota prosecutors allege Castro fired through the front door of a Minneapolis home, striking Sosa-Celis while six people, including two children, were inside.

— Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2026
The chip company closed a similar deal last month, striking a $6 billion structured agreement with Poolside, an open-weight model builder.

— Jake Angelo, semafor.com, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of strike

Verb

On a cold night in November 2011, in a field outside Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine, a gang of thugs stormed a Soviet scientific research institute, beat and humiliated the staff and burned the place to the ground.

— Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026
The second-chance Hail Mary led to the incomprehensible scene of the Michigan Stadium crowd storming the field to cheer the winningest program in Bowl Subdivision history eking out a victory over a Mid-American Conference school.

— CBS News, CBS News, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of storm

Browse Nearby Words

ass

assail

assailable

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Assail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assail. Accessed 10 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of assail

verb

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

loath

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes