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
As casualties mount among Mexican media personnel — and their assailants go free — many in Mexico view the case as a litmus test.
—Foreign Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2026
The assailants, prosecutors allege, arrived in a sport utility vehicle in which two other people sat.
—Emerson Clarridge
updated February 6, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Feb. 2026
The university said the victim and the assailants know each other, and the assailants were guests of a male resident student.
—Madeleine Wright, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026
Cops quickly identified Parham as the assailant and put out his mugshot in the hopes someone would alert detectives about his whereabouts.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for assailant
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Foreign Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2026
The assailants, prosecutors allege, arrived in a sport utility vehicle in which two other people sat.
—Emerson Clarridge
updated February 6, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Feb. 2026
The university said the victim and the assailants know each other, and the assailants were guests of a male resident student.
—Madeleine Wright, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026
Cops quickly identified Parham as the assailant and put out his mugshot in the hopes someone would alert detectives about his whereabouts.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 5 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 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
assailant
noun
as·sail·ant
ə-ˈsā-lənt
: a person who commits criminal assault
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