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

Stunned at first by his opponent’s aggressiveness and the onslaught of personal attacks, Ted trains himself to withstand the barrages and to respond in kind. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026

Thanks to the platform’s algorithms, the Heated Rivalry onslaught began with dozens of posts that pushed other content off my news feed. — Literary Hub, 21 Sep. 2026

Forecasters also warned that Hawaii could face another onslaught of harsh weather later in the week. — Megan Janetsky, Chicago Tribune, 21 Sep. 2026

The onslaught amounted to a rare success for Ukraine’s summer drone campaign against Moscow, which had failed to breach any of the city’s air defenses for months. — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 20 Sep. 2026

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