: an especially fierce attack
… the tremendous onslaught across the Rhine …—
Winston Churchill
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
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
The move triggered an onslaught of requests from wind and solar developers wanting to build projects in Sardinia.
—IEEE Spectrum, 7 May 2026
American officials described the Iranian onslaught on three destroyers as fiercer and more sustained than a separate Iranian barrage that two of the warships faced only days earlier.
—James Laporta, CBS News, 7 May 2026
Jesper Wallstedt had to eat the onslaught all game, giving up a career-high eight goals — the backbreaking final one coming after Mats Zuccarello pulled the Wild within one with four minutes left.
—Michael Russo, New York Times, 5 May 2026
This onslaught has led to a musical chairs of lawsuits and settlements—and, occasionally, partnerships—between the Big Three labels and the AI startups attempting to crib their artists’ styles.
—Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for onslaught
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
IEEE Spectrum, 7 May 2026
American officials described the Iranian onslaught on three destroyers as fiercer and more sustained than a separate Iranian barrage that two of the warships faced only days earlier.
—James Laporta, CBS News, 7 May 2026
Jesper Wallstedt had to eat the onslaught all game, giving up a career-high eight goals — the backbreaking final one coming after Mats Zuccarello pulled the Wild within one with four minutes left.
—Michael Russo, New York Times, 5 May 2026
This onslaught has led to a musical chairs of lawsuits and settlements—and, occasionally, partnerships—between the Big Three labels and the AI startups attempting to crib their artists’ styles.
—Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for onslaught
Cite this Entry
“Onslaught.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/onslaught. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
onslaught
noun
on·slaught
ˈän-ˌslȯt 
ˈȯn-
: a violent attack
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
