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
The evidence that Song was the shooter comes from a green mask the assailant wore from which samples that tested positive for Song’s DNA were taken and from interviews with cooperating sources, the government has said.
—Emerson Clarridge
updated February 26, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Feb. 2026
The masked assailant’s gun holster, slung between his legs, is what law enforcement terms a universal fit holster and is ill-fitted for a much larger gun.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
The assailants ambushed a police vehicle and killed one officer in Kohat, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
—ABC News, 24 Feb. 2026
The assailants, some armed, also vandalized security cameras and a guard shack and slashed the tires of vehicles in the parking lot, authorities said.
—Kevin Krause, Dallas Morning News, 18 Feb. 2026
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Emerson Clarridge
updated February 26, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Feb. 2026
The masked assailant’s gun holster, slung between his legs, is what law enforcement terms a universal fit holster and is ill-fitted for a much larger gun.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
The assailants ambushed a police vehicle and killed one officer in Kohat, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
—ABC News, 24 Feb. 2026
The assailants, some armed, also vandalized security cameras and a guard shack and slashed the tires of vehicles in the parking lot, authorities said.
—Kevin Krause, Dallas Morning News, 18 Feb. 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 6 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
assailant
noun
as·sail·ant
ə-ˈsā-lənt
: a person who commits criminal assault
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