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

Tech companies are working overtime to figure out how to power an onslaught of new data centers. — Micheline Maynard, Time, 15 Oct. 2026

Alongside the attack on the GFS Galaxy, the weekend onslaught on Hormuz shipping also hit two crude oil tankers and three refined product tankers. — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026

Officials are also continuing to monitor coastal homes that were red- and yellow-tagged during the weekend onslaught. — Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026

But the best vitamin C serums can still hold their own among the onslaught of new ingredients like exosomes, growth factors, and PDRN. — Deanna Pai, Vogue, 9 Oct. 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