as in attackers
one who violently sets upon another
the darkness prevented me from getting a good look at my assailant
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of assailants
The assailants in each of the killings left the scenes before an officer arrived, and the police department has not announced an arrest in the homicides.
—
Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 June 2026
The shooting carried out late Tuesday by assailants in an informal settlement of shacks in Johannesburg left 12 people dead and at least 15 wounded, according to authorities.
—Michelle Gumede, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2026
The footage shows armed assailants breaking through the front door before entering the house and threatening Guzman.
—CBS News, 12 June 2026
Johnson said Sunday that the video with the widest circulation on social media, which shows an officer pressing a teenager to the ground with all four limbs, was attempting to protect the teen from other assailants at the time.
—Ilana Arougheti
june 10, Kansas City Star, 10 June 2026
Construction began as early as the 7th century BC to protect against nomadic assailants, with the First Emperor Qin Shi Huang adding a major portion from 220 to 206 BC.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 3 June 2026
According to the video, which was broadcast Tuesday on RAI state television and other Italian media, assailants poured liquid into the back of the car and set it ablaze as it was parked at a gas station in Amendolara, near Cosenza in the southern Calabria region, RAI said.
—ABC News, 2 June 2026
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
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
Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 June 2026
The shooting carried out late Tuesday by assailants in an informal settlement of shacks in Johannesburg left 12 people dead and at least 15 wounded, according to authorities.
—Michelle Gumede, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2026
The footage shows armed assailants breaking through the front door before entering the house and threatening Guzman.
—CBS News, 12 June 2026
Johnson said Sunday that the video with the widest circulation on social media, which shows an officer pressing a teenager to the ground with all four limbs, was attempting to protect the teen from other assailants at the time.
—Ilana Arougheti
june 10, Kansas City Star, 10 June 2026
Construction began as early as the 7th century BC to protect against nomadic assailants, with the First Emperor Qin Shi Huang adding a major portion from 220 to 206 BC.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 3 June 2026
According to the video, which was broadcast Tuesday on RAI state television and other Italian media, assailants poured liquid into the back of the car and set it ablaze as it was parked at a gas station in Amendolara, near Cosenza in the southern Calabria region, RAI said.
—ABC News, 2 June 2026
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for assailants
attackers
Noun
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The bulletin also warns law enforcement that violent extremist attackers could target areas outside of the parade’s main viewing area, such as nearby plazas, transportation hubs, bars and restaurants.—
Mark Morales,
CNN Money,
18 June 2026
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An image-parsing bug in the software that presented hardware manufacturers’ logos during bootup allowed attackers to bypass Secure Boot and infect the UEFI with malicious firmware.—
Dan Goodin,
ArsTechnica,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Assailants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assailants. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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