variants
or offence
1
as in crime
a breaking of a moral or legal code
wartime offenses that are crimes against all of humanity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in offensive
the act or action of setting upon with force or violence
combat casualties grew enormously as the weapons of offense became far more technologically advanced than defensive armor
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in outrage
an act or expression showing scorn and usually intended to hurt another's feelings
a diplomat never deliberately gives offense
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in resentment
the feeling of being offended or resentful after a slight or indignity
my mother was prone to take offense even at the most innocent remark
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of offense
Dak Prescott and the Cowboys offense have been excellent this season and should only get better with CeeDee Lamb set to return from an ankle sprain in Week 7.
—
Jacob Camenker, USA Today, 19 Oct. 2025
McVay has established himself as a savant in zone blocking and motion offense, but this year’s defense is unequivocally leading the Rams so far.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
Sloppy passes, stagnant offense, blown defensive assignments, poor decisions.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Oct. 2025
Speaking of the Auburn offense, the Tigers' pass game has looked sufficient – and at times efficient – at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
—Matt Hayes, USA TODAY, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for offense
Jacob Camenker, USA Today, 19 Oct. 2025
McVay has established himself as a savant in zone blocking and motion offense, but this year’s defense is unequivocally leading the Rams so far.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
Sloppy passes, stagnant offense, blown defensive assignments, poor decisions.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Oct. 2025
Speaking of the Auburn offense, the Tigers' pass game has looked sufficient – and at times efficient – at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
—Matt Hayes, USA TODAY, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for offense
Recent Examples of Synonyms for offense
Noun
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His wife, Rebecca Haro, was charged with two crimes — murder and filing a false report — and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing the day Jake Haro will be sentenced.—
Madeline Morrison,
NBC news,
17 Oct. 2025
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Rafael is a crime and breaking news reporter at the Arkansas Democrat Gazette.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Financiers organized press offensives and enlisted top reporters as allies, offering lucrative jobs or outright bribes.—
Evan Hughes,
The Atlantic,
20 Oct. 2025
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Despite a peacekeeping force, Azerbaijan launched a large-scale military offensive on the sovereign territory in September 2023, which led to the displacement of nearly the entire Artsakh population, some 120,000, to Armenia.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The situation sparked outrage in Miami and nationwide, citing it as an example of a violation of freedom of speech.—
Edda Leon,
Miami Herald,
20 Oct. 2025
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Photos of the gaggle of fans were shared on social media, and Swift’s fans expressed their outrage at the scene.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The universal hatred comes from the child star’s coevals, whose curiosity about the occupation is mingled with resentment.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
20 Oct. 2025
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Left in its wake are rising societal resentments and an ever-increasing wealth gap.—
Leila Gharagozlou,
CNN Money,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
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But when Gwen falls into a dream state, the Grabber's assault on the group threatens to derail their plan entirely.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
18 Oct. 2025
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Of those six assault cases, Berchtold was only found guilty of rape of a child once and spent one year in jail, Jan told Vulture.—
Alex Gurley,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Carter was sitting in her chair, listening to a lesson, when Octavius Johnson, a classmate who had a crush on her, started to fire off insults.—
Jeff Pearlman,
Rolling Stone,
17 Oct. 2025
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Politico counted 251 instances of derogatory insults in the group chat, interspersed with logistical conversations about social media strategies and collecting votes.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
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But in Israel, some of the relief felt in the wake of the agreement has been eclipsed by anger that Hamas so far has released only the remains of nine of the 28 deceased hostages held in Gaza.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
16 Oct. 2025
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The Owensboro news media and some white onlookers insist that when the lady sheriff didn’t show up to act as executioner, there was anger in the press’s unmet expectations, which then was taken out on the crowd, with the reporters lying about the audience’s unruly behavior.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The Islamists were seen as complicit in India’s worst plane hijack in 1999 and the 2008 attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul, which killed several Indian citizens, including two senior diplomats.—
Happymon Jacob,
Time,
16 Oct. 2025
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Shannon will man larger perimeter players, but not necessarily the point of attack as often.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Offense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offense. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
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