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 adjective ‘brave’ should never be used in reference to a person attacking a dead person.
—
Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 2 Apr. 2026
Trump reacted by attacking Springsteen over his physical appearance and urging his MAGA fanbase to boycott the tour.
—Zack Sharf, Variety, 2 Apr. 2026
To Iran, to stop attacking their neighbors.
—Kevin Collier, NBC news, 2 Apr. 2026
The worrying thing for England right now is that, just as Tuchel said, none of their attacking players apart from Kane are in sparkling form.
—Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2026
Mohammed’s view The most striking part of these conversations was not that Gulf citizens are angry at Iran for attacking them.
—Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Deliberately attacking essential civilian infrastructure is a war crime under international law.
—Scott Detrow, NPR, 1 Apr. 2026
The Bindjareb’s practice of firestick farming, in which parts of the bush were burned to draw out animals for hunting and to encourage plant regrowth, led the settlers to believe that the Bindjareb were attacking their farming areas, further straining relations.
—Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 Apr. 2026
Regardless, there’s no excuse — even in hard knocks politics — for attacking someone because of his disability.
—George Skelton, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 2 Apr. 2026
Trump reacted by attacking Springsteen over his physical appearance and urging his MAGA fanbase to boycott the tour.
—Zack Sharf, Variety, 2 Apr. 2026
To Iran, to stop attacking their neighbors.
—Kevin Collier, NBC news, 2 Apr. 2026
The worrying thing for England right now is that, just as Tuchel said, none of their attacking players apart from Kane are in sparkling form.
—Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2026
Mohammed’s view The most striking part of these conversations was not that Gulf citizens are angry at Iran for attacking them.
—Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Deliberately attacking essential civilian infrastructure is a war crime under international law.
—Scott Detrow, NPR, 1 Apr. 2026
The Bindjareb’s practice of firestick farming, in which parts of the bush were burned to draw out animals for hunting and to encourage plant regrowth, led the settlers to believe that the Bindjareb were attacking their farming areas, further straining relations.
—Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 Apr. 2026
Regardless, there’s no excuse — even in hard knocks politics — for attacking someone because of his disability.
—George Skelton, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for attacking
Verb
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According to Sadriu, officers learned that Cupe was allegedly assaulting a woman in the park when a bystander intervened in an effort to stop the assault.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
2 Apr. 2026
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The untitled film marks Majors’ first movie in four years after he was dropped from numerous projects when found guilty in 2023 of assaulting his former girlfriend.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The wing struck the roof of a home before slamming into an exterior wall of a second home next door.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The pair have been in physical altercations in the past, including Manning's 2012 arrest for allegedly punching, scratching, kicking and choking Hartman – whom media outlets have referred to as Manning's former make-up artist and assistant – and slamming her head against the floor and wall.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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What should never come into question, however, is the importance of tackling the hard questions in the first place — specifically, those questions that get at the heart of how our world works — even if finding the correct solutions involves more dead ends than front-page news stories.—
Mariangela Lisanti,
Twin Cities,
27 Mar. 2026
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Flea’s new release is a temple of American culture, tackling the timely subjects of civil war, peace and love, and doing so in its own meditative time and space.—
Lars Brandle,
Billboard,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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There’s also talk of US forces raiding nuclear sites deep inside Iran to retrieve worrisome nuclear material, amid heightened fears that it could be used by an angry and desperate Iranian regime to manufacture nuclear weapons.—
Matthew Chance,
CNN Money,
29 Mar. 2026
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Noem sent Bovino and his Border Patrol agents into Los Angeles last June, and viral social-media clips of agents raiding Home Depot parking lots soon followed.—
Nick Miroff,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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First, as the Florida ACLU’s Howard Simon points out, Uthmeier is not scolding another branch of government.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Mar. 2026
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Security guard Pascal Duvier, most recently infamous for allegedly scolding 11-year-old Ada Law at a hotel in São Paulo, is clearing the air.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The approaching Easter holiday often means an increase in the purchase and gifting of live rabbits, and a resulting spike in abandonments.—
Sharon Chin,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
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It is now believed that Comet MAPS has an orbital period approaching 2,000 years, and may be a fragment of a daylight comet seen in 363 AD.—
Tony Hoffman,
PC Magazine,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Fungi aren’t literally storming areas like rain or hail, but storms act as the vehicle while the spores supply the threat.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
30 Mar. 2026
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Dweir said an argument between a resident of Suqaylabiyah and another from Qalaat al-Madiq led to scores of men from the Sunni town storming the area and attacking shops, homes and cars.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Investigators said, following the report, the child's mother checked surveillance video from inside the home and saw the night nurse, Cindy Dresser, physically abusing the child.—
Stephanie Ballesteros,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
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Judge Joel Bennathan sentenced Matvei Rumiantsev, a 23-year-old Russian national, to two years in prison after being found guilty of assault for abusing his on-and-off girlfriend.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Attacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attacking. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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