1
as in assaulting
to take sudden, violent action against
our dog unexpectedly attacked the mailman, sinking his teeth into the startled man's leg
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in slamming
to criticize harshly and usually publicly
the mayor and all his aides were attacked mercilessly in the press when the scandal erupted
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in tackling
to start work on energetically
Courtney attacked the huge mess in her room with determination and enthusiasm
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of attacking
The positioning of Palace’s six attacking players inside the penalty area is another one.
—
Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025
Republicans were nearly unanimous about the danger of Democrats attacking ICE.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 24 Sep. 2025
All 11 have to be attacking toward a common goal at full speed.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2025
What are the penalties for attacking an ICE agent?
—Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Sep. 2025
But with reverse vaccinology, scientists start instead with the antibodies and try to determine which ones are most powerful at attacking the pathogen.
—Tara Haelle, Scientific American, 23 Sep. 2025
The reason was rheumatoid arthritis, which occurs when the immune system starts attacking the lining of joints.
—Jon Hamilton, NPR, 22 Sep. 2025
Completing the Barca and Spain sweep of the category, attacking midfielder Vicky López won the women’s Kopa Trophy.
—David Close, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2025
Atalanta comes in with resilience and attacking threats, particularly in transition, but their back line has looked shaky at times this year.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025
Republicans were nearly unanimous about the danger of Democrats attacking ICE.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 24 Sep. 2025
All 11 have to be attacking toward a common goal at full speed.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2025
What are the penalties for attacking an ICE agent?
—Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Sep. 2025
But with reverse vaccinology, scientists start instead with the antibodies and try to determine which ones are most powerful at attacking the pathogen.
—Tara Haelle, Scientific American, 23 Sep. 2025
The reason was rheumatoid arthritis, which occurs when the immune system starts attacking the lining of joints.
—Jon Hamilton, NPR, 22 Sep. 2025
Completing the Barca and Spain sweep of the category, attacking midfielder Vicky López won the women’s Kopa Trophy.
—David Close, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2025
Atalanta comes in with resilience and attacking threats, particularly in transition, but their back line has looked shaky at times this year.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for attacking
Verb
-
McIver was arrested on charges of assaulting a federal officer while attempting to enter.—
Anna Giaritelli,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Four people were arrested, and three were charged felony offenses of assaulting a federal officer, while the fourth was charged with misdemeanor offense of depredation of government property, according to a Department of Justice press release.—
Harrison Mantas,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Demonstrators carried signs slamming Disney, ABC, the FCC and the TV station group owners who dealt the fatal blow to Kimmel by declaring that he would be preempted in heartland markets such as Nashville, New Orleans and Salt Lake City.—
Dan Doperalski,
Variety,
19 Sep. 2025
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But then, less than two years later, a punishing atmospheric river storm sent a large redwood tree crashing down the steep slopes of the forest, slamming into the main bridge and causing other damage to the new facilities.—
Paul Rogers,
Mercury News,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Lear was a true hero — a WWII vet who fought fascism, then came home and built a career making America laugh while also tackling some of the most important issues of our time.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
24 Sep. 2025
-
Britt said being back on his home turf shows Baron anything is possible — even tackling a tricky Samba.—
Brianne Tracy,
PEOPLE,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The venue itself, lined with vintage automobiles and framed by sweeping Hudson River views, became the perfect stage for Smith’s cinematic vision—equal parts luxe nightclub and tomb-raiding adventure.—
Skylar Mitchell,
Essence,
17 Sep. 2025
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When sheriff’s deputies were raiding his home in May, Mutch had excuses for both alleged crimes, according to the criminal complaint.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Shipp is tasked with scolding her father and delivering leaden exposition.—
Esther Zuckerman,
IndieWire,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The reflective foil discourages unwanted insects and pests like slugs from approaching and harming the plants, but actually helps to attract butterflies.—
Darcy Lenz,
Southern Living,
24 Sep. 2025
-
Snippets of Dorothy in her shiny silver heels and blue gingham dress can be seen throughout the clip as Glind walks down the aisle in a long white wedding train approaching Prince Fiyero.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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That super graphic ultra modern girl storming the stage with Chappell Roan?—
Devon Ivie,
Vulture,
23 Sep. 2025
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Their romance quickly turns dark after a heated argument between the two sends roses crashing to the floor and Williams storming out the door.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Far from abusing its discretion, the district court has exercised care and restraint in managing discovery, affording 'careful consideration' to the government's assertion of privilege.—
James Bickerton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Sep. 2025
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However, last week, the Civilian Complaint Review Board voted to overrule the investigator who found Alongi and Cianfrocco innocent, finding the pair of officers in violation of using excessive force and abusing their authority.—
Mason Leath,
ABC News,
19 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Attacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attacking. Accessed 27 Sep. 2025.
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