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 WambaughExamples of assailant in a Sentence
the darkness prevented me from getting a good look at my assailant
Recent Examples on the Web
Nancy Guthrie was kidnapped by what police believe was a masked assailant sometime between the night of January 31 and the early hours of February 1.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 17 Apr. 2026
The eight assailants got out of two cars, including a gray Nissan Altima.
—Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 Apr. 2026
The assailant later killed himself.
—ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
People stand at the courtyard of a secondary school where an assailant opened fire, in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, April 15, 2026.
—CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for assailant
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Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 17 Apr. 2026
The eight assailants got out of two cars, including a gray Nissan Altima.
—Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 Apr. 2026
The assailant later killed himself.
—ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
People stand at the courtyard of a secondary school where an assailant opened fire, in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, April 15, 2026.
—CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for assailant
Cite this Entry
“Assailant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assailant. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
assailant
noun
as·sail·ant
ə-ˈsā-lənt
: a person who commits criminal assault
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