AGGRESSIONS Synonyms: 59 Similar and Opposite Words

aggressions

noun

plural of aggression

as in assaults

the act or action of setting upon with force or violence diplomats warned that any aggression by either side could easily turn into a full-scale war

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of aggressions As quotas for immigration arrests increased that spring, he was asked to press felony charges for even minor aggressions against agents. — Emily Witt, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026 The United States deploys about 28,500 troops in South Korea as deterrence against potential aggressions from North Korea. — ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026 Many of the physical aggressions KFF Health News identified in CMS inspection reports were perpetrated by residents with diagnoses of dementia, schizophrenia, or other cognitive disorders. — Jordan Rau, NPR, 19 July 2026 Vitello, meanwhile, just takes it — macro- and micro-aggressions alike. — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 21 June 2026 The sharp comedy follows their meetings over the course of the school year, revealing the micro-aggressions, class distinctions, and prejudices of the council members, which Spector addresses with clever, amusing insight. — Mary Damiano, Miami Herald, 27 May 2026 Race, bad bosses and the fly-on-the-wall fun of watching office politics and micro-aggressions play out makes this workplace suspense novel a total page-turner (as well as a binge-worthy limited television series). — Laura Zigman, PEOPLE, 2 May 2026 Oil prices have surged since February 28, when the US and Israel opened aggressions by assassinating Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei in a series of missile strikes that also killed the commander of the IRGC, the minister of defense, and other top brass. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 12 Mar. 2026 As servers delicately navigate around the women, serving plates of food that will never be touched, micro-aggressions are tossed, disguised as jokes. — Literary Hub, 24 Feb. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for aggressions

Noun

Another suspect in the 2023 attacks, Italian anti-fascist activist Ilaria Salis, was jailed in Hungary for over a year following the assaults, resulting in a diplomatic dispute between Rome and Budapest over her treatment in detention.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2026
Prosecutors used the Idaho assaults to prove a pattern of abuse, and put a life sentence on the table.

— Olivia Young, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of assaults

Noun

Asif said the Houthis had intensified missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia and expanded their control along Yemen's Red Sea coast.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 Sep. 2026
In the case of the Ratepayer Protection Act, Republicans were searching for an answer to Democratic attacks on data centers and the higher energy prices consumers fear will come from their construction.

— David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of attacks

Noun

Coleman recalled a recent New York Times article that highlighted how immigration raids this summer — which surpassed 50,000 arrests in July and August — received little public backlash compared to last year’s wave.

— Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
In the United States, meanwhile, cities have come under siege by federal authorities carrying out sweeping anti-migrant raids.

— Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of raids

Noun

In fact, reported evidence suggests this software commitment (from a company making its revenue from hardware) has been crucial to Nvidia’s success in fending off onslaughts from other hardware vendors such as Intel.

— Nisha Talagala, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Ukraine has been largely helpless in similar Russian onslaughts in recent weeks.

— Tom Bowman, NPR, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of onslaughts

Noun

However, further Houthi offensives have met stiffer resistance from the recuperated forces of the Presidential Leadership Council, depriving the group of another quick victory.

— Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2026
With alarm bells ringing over potential Russian offensives — both digital and kinetic — in the coming months, vulnerable European nations must figure out if, and how, to respond.

— Rafi Schwartz, TheWeek, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of offensives

Noun

In August 2024, seven more former union executives and employees — including Jones, his wife and son — were indicted for conspiracy to commit offenses under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, as well as other felonies.

— Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 1 Oct. 2026
Five British men in their 20s were arrested Sunday on suspicion of explosives offenses and planning an act of terror, before being released on bail a day later.

— ABC News, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of offenses

Noun

Then the botched attempts to lethally inject her became the dominant story.

— Michael Ruiz , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
The trio of Eller with Brady Tkachuk and Sam Reinhard on his wings held its own with a 6-5 edge over the Sharks in shot attempts and 3-2 edge in shots on goal over about six minutes of ice time at five-on-five.

— Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of attempts

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“Aggressions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aggressions. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of aggressions

noun

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