onslaught

noun

on·​slaught ˈän-ˌslȯt 

ˈȯn-

: an especially fierce attack

the tremendous onslaught across the Rhine

—Sir Winston Churchill

also : something resembling such an attack

an onslaught of technological changes

Employers are expecting an onslaught of recent college graduates.

Synonyms

• attack
• assault
• raid
• strike
• offensive

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

Mad Men would be named Best Drama for a third straight year and Temple Grandin commenced what turned out to be a seemingly endless onslaught at every applicable awards show, as the TV-movie tied an Emmy record with five major wins. —Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 13 Sep. 2025

Poland was not alone in defending its citizens from the Russian onslaught meant for Ukraine. —Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2025

Springs recovered from the early onslaught and retired the visiting lineup 1-2-3 in the third, fourth and fifth. —Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 10 Sep. 2025

Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, bore the brunt of the overnight onslaught. —Katya Soldak, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 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