1
as in raid
the act or action of setting upon with force or violence
The USS Constitution was nicknamed "Old Ironsides" after its oaken hull successfully withstood a British attack
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bout
a sudden experiencing of a physical or mental disorder
malaria is characterized by periodic attacks of chills and fever
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to assault
to take sudden, violent action against
our dog unexpectedly attacked the mailman, sinking his teeth into the startled man's leg
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to slam
to criticize harshly and usually publicly
the mayor and all his aides were attacked mercilessly in the press when the scandal erupted
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to approach
to start work on energetically
Courtney attacked the huge mess in her room with determination and enthusiasm
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of attack
Essence, 29 Oct. 2025
The vest was for protection from an attack.
—Mark Schilling, Variety, 29 Oct. 2025
Paul Egan, Freep.com, 23 Oct. 2025
The man tried to escape, but the group followed him, knocked him to the ground and continued attacking him before robbing him of his watch and shoes, prosecutors said.
—Jennifer Rodriguez, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for attack
Noun
Annabelle’s journey from a racist relic of the antebellum era to a million-dollar movie star to a figure of Black liberation distills vital lessons about American history at a time when Black history is under attack by those in the highest office of the land.
—Essence, 29 Oct. 2025
The vest was for protection from an attack.
—Mark Schilling, Variety, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
One week later, the inmate attacked him in the middle of the night and beat him with a padlock attached to a belt, leaving him with a gash to the head and other injuries, according to the lawsuit.
—Paul Egan, Freep.com, 23 Oct. 2025
The man tried to escape, but the group followed him, knocked him to the ground and continued attacking him before robbing him of his watch and shoes, prosecutors said.
—Jennifer Rodriguez, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for attack
Recent Examples of Synonyms for attack
Noun
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There’s a lot of fear in the air – fear of speaking out, fear of being swept up in ICE raids, etc.—
Andre Mouchard,
Oc Register,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Thieves last week targeted the Louvre’s Apollo Gallery in a brazen daylight raid, fleeing with jewelry worth tens of millions in a matter of minutes.—
Billy Stockwell,
CNN Money,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Visited by thousands of trekkers and climbers, the region around Mount Everest has been blanketed by snow since Monday as a cyclone from the Bay of Bengal churned across India, ushering in a second bout of severe snowfall in the Himalayas this month.—
Reuters,
CNN Money,
29 Oct. 2025
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The Big Lebowski star, 75, stepped back from screen acting following a bout with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2020 and a serious case of COVID-19 shortly thereafter.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In March 2022, he was charged with assaulting a health care worker.—
Adam Sabes,
FOXNews.com,
25 Oct. 2025
-
The girl was between the ages of 4 and 10 when she was assaulted.—
Ryanne Mena,
Oc Register,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Once the truck begins driving straight, the beige SUV speeds up and slams into the truck’s back-left side.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
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Back in 1961, residents of Capitola woke up to find that hordes of black seabirds were slamming into cars, windows and people's homes and dying.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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More than 735,000 people were evacuated in Cuba as Melissa approached, according to President Miguel Díaz-Canel, while in the Bahamas, preliminary estimates show 1,485 residents were evacuated before all flights were suspended ahead of the approaching storm.—
Mitchell McCluskey,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
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Sanchez, who was in Indianapolis for a Fox Sports appearance, was caught on video approaching the driver’s door of a large truck by a nearby hotel, according to a probable cause affidavit reviewed by EW.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The play was blown up, coming nowhere close to first down yardage, and the onslaught began.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Oct. 2025
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For years local and federal investigators were stumped by who had sent the letters and were unable to prevent the onslaught of threats for more than a decade.—
Liam Quinn,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The investigation stems from two prior drug trafficking seizures earlier this month, the DA’s office said.—
Grace Zokovitch,
Boston Herald,
29 Oct. 2025
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The investigation stemmed from two prior drug seizures.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The bridge swayed ever so slightly as the mass of runners began to storm across.—
Nicholas Thompson,
The Atlantic,
23 Oct. 2025
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Fans stormed the field for the first time since USC.—
Andy Greder,
Twin Cities,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Attack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attack. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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