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
The assailant, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, fired multiple shots, injuring Trump and killing one attendee before being fatally shot by the Secret Service.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 June 2025
The assailant remained at large, and a massive manhunt was underway into Saturday night with hundreds of federal, state and local law enforcement officers, according to authorities at a news conference with Walz and other officials at the State Emergency Operations Center in Blaine.
—Pioneer Press, Twin Cities, 15 June 2025
Officials said there was no known connection between the victim and the assailant.
—Christina Coulter, People.com, 13 June 2025
The couple’s alleged assailant, 41-year-old Manuel Ruiz, and his wife broadcast from YouTube as Sin City Family.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for assailant
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Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 June 2025
The assailant remained at large, and a massive manhunt was underway into Saturday night with hundreds of federal, state and local law enforcement officers, according to authorities at a news conference with Walz and other officials at the State Emergency Operations Center in Blaine.
—Pioneer Press, Twin Cities, 15 June 2025
Officials said there was no known connection between the victim and the assailant.
—Christina Coulter, People.com, 13 June 2025
The couple’s alleged assailant, 41-year-old Manuel Ruiz, and his wife broadcast from YouTube as Sin City Family.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for assailant
Cite this Entry
“Assailant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assailant. Accessed 26 Jun. 2025.
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assailant
noun
as·sail·ant
ə-ˈsā-lənt
: a person who commits criminal assault
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