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

Lehkonen continued the second-period onslaught when Brindley found the winger skating up the middle of the ice, Lehkonen skated in alone on Tarasov and beat him with a low shot inside the left post. —Miami Herald, 12 Dec. 2025

Erika's also faced an onslaught of criticism for how she's acted in the wake of her husband's death. —Jenni Fink, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025

Los Angeles capped the offensive onslaught with two straight touchdowns on the first play of the drive. —CBS News, 7 Dec. 2025

Come the 1960s, production ceased for the company owing to the endless onslaught of Japanese motorcycles. —New Atlas, 6 Dec. 2025

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