onslaught

noun

on·​slaught ˈän-ˌslȯt 

ˈȯn-

: an especially fierce attack

… the tremendous onslaught across the Rhine …

—Winston Churchill

also : something resembling such an attack

an onslaught of technological changes

Employers are expecting an onslaught of recent college graduates.

Synonyms of onslaught

• attack
• assault
• offensive
• raid
• offense
• aggression
• strike

Examples of onslaught in a Sentence

an onslaught by the enemy

the massive onslaught of enemy troops caught the country by surprise

Recent Examples on the Web

As halftime approached and France looking stunned by the English offensive onslaught, forward Bukayo Saka scored two goals within 10 minutes to officially turn the match into something no one thought would happen – an English blowout. — Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 18 July 2026

Trump is twice divorced, relishes cursing publicly and offers a never-ending onslaught of falsehoods. — Will Weissert, Fortune, 18 July 2026

The left anticipated the spending onslaught and is framing the outside money as a desperate play to stop a populist candidate — which isn’t wrong. — David Weigel, semafor.com, 15 July 2026

Ibiza is hostile to new club owners, and Ushuaïa faced the usual onslaught. — Max Marshall, Vanity Fair, 15 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

modification of Dutch aanslag act of striking; akin to Old English an on and to Old English slēan to strike — more at slay

First Known Use

circa 1625, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for onslaught

• allot
• barat
• begot
• besought
• bethought
• bloodshot
• boycott
• buckshot
• crackpot
• croat
• culottes
• dashpot

Kids Definition

onslaught

noun

on·​slaught ˈän-ˌslȯt 

ˈȯn-

: a violent attack