as in attackers
one who violently sets upon another
the darkness prevented me from getting a good look at my assailant
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Recent Examples of assailants
While Lala and Gibbs are enjoying their cute moment, and the team is celebrating its rebranding to NCIS, their colleague Randy (Caleb Foote) is kidnapped by unknown assailants.
—
Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 28 May 2026
While the rally at a central square in Belgrade passed peacefully, groups of young assailants later clashed with riot police, throwing flares, rocks and bottles at police cordons.
—Jovana Gec, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2026
On Monday, two assailants, a 17-year-old and an 18-year-old, attacked the Islamic Center of San Diego, the site of both a mosque and school, killing three adults.
—Ibrahim Al-Marashi, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 May 2026
Murdaugh family announces $100,000 reward for information Alex Murdaugh and his son Buster announced a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of assailants involved in the murders of Maggie and Paul.
—Marlene Lenthang, ABC News, 14 May 2026
The Kuwaiti national news agency said after clashes with local security services, four of the assailants were arrested and two escaped.
—CBS News, 12 May 2026
The assailants repeatedly rammed their vehicle into a police cruiser, Beere said.
—Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 8 May 2026
The eight assailants got out of two cars, including a gray Nissan Altima.
—Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 Apr. 2026
Once at the location where she would later be killed, the assailants tied her to a chair and blindfolded her, according to a clip of video from the incident shared online by Univision.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 28 May 2026
While the rally at a central square in Belgrade passed peacefully, groups of young assailants later clashed with riot police, throwing flares, rocks and bottles at police cordons.
—Jovana Gec, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2026
On Monday, two assailants, a 17-year-old and an 18-year-old, attacked the Islamic Center of San Diego, the site of both a mosque and school, killing three adults.
—Ibrahim Al-Marashi, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 May 2026
Murdaugh family announces $100,000 reward for information Alex Murdaugh and his son Buster announced a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of assailants involved in the murders of Maggie and Paul.
—Marlene Lenthang, ABC News, 14 May 2026
The Kuwaiti national news agency said after clashes with local security services, four of the assailants were arrested and two escaped.
—CBS News, 12 May 2026
The assailants repeatedly rammed their vehicle into a police cruiser, Beere said.
—Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 8 May 2026
The eight assailants got out of two cars, including a gray Nissan Altima.
—Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 Apr. 2026
Once at the location where she would later be killed, the assailants tied her to a chair and blindfolded her, according to a clip of video from the incident shared online by Univision.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for assailants
attackers
Noun
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This leads to more efficient fixes and a security posture aligned with how attackers actually operate in complex environments.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
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Other attackers Arsenal admire include Champions League final opponent Bradley Barcola, Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi and Ajax winger Mika Godts.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Assailants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assailants. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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