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
And an assailant drove a car into people outside an Orthodox synagogue in Manchester, England, on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.
—Arkansas Online, 13 Mar. 2026
The assailants, some armed, also vandalized security cameras and a vacant guard shack and slashed the tires of vehicles in the parking lot, authorities said.
—Sue Ambrose, Dallas Morning News, 13 Mar. 2026
The assailant, Hassan Chokr, was sentenced to 34 months in prison in September for illegally possessing multiple firearms inside a gun store after leaving the synagogue.
—Grace Gilson, Sun Sentinel, 13 Mar. 2026
An assailant drove a car into people outside an Orthodox synagogue in Manchester, England, on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.
—Corey Williams, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for assailant
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Arkansas Online, 13 Mar. 2026
The assailants, some armed, also vandalized security cameras and a vacant guard shack and slashed the tires of vehicles in the parking lot, authorities said.
—Sue Ambrose, Dallas Morning News, 13 Mar. 2026
The assailant, Hassan Chokr, was sentenced to 34 months in prison in September for illegally possessing multiple firearms inside a gun store after leaving the synagogue.
—Grace Gilson, Sun Sentinel, 13 Mar. 2026
An assailant drove a car into people outside an Orthodox synagogue in Manchester, England, on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.
—Corey Williams, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 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 18 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
assailant
noun
as·sail·ant
ə-ˈsā-lənt
: a person who commits criminal assault
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