ASSAILED Synonyms: 123 Similar and Opposite Words

assailed

verb

past tense of assail

as in attacked

to criticize harshly and usually publicly the union organizers assailed the chemical company for failing to provide a safe working environment

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in assaulted

to take sudden, violent action against the small birds assailed the larger one that had threatened their nest

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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 assailed The former increases excitability and preparedness for movement in response to the tennis equivalent of being assailed by a woolly mammoth. —

Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 3 June 2026 In 2018, that monopoly was assailed by signs and portents. —

Literary Hub, 18 May 2026 And so rivals again assailed Becerra’s performance as state attorney general and Health and Human Services secretary in the Biden administration. —

Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2026 In 2023, senators assailed Ticketmaster, which is owned by Live Nation Entertainment, for its lack of transparency and inability to block bots from purchasing tickets on behalf of scalpers. —

Noe Padilla, USA Today, 13 May 2026 In the years following the departure of Ailes, many critics further assailed the network for eroding any line between news reporting and commentary and political advocacy. —

Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Apr. 2026 Election officials and experts assailed the review, done by the security firm Cyber Ninjas—which made claims about the election process that were disputed by state and county election officials—as deeply flawed and partisan. —

Sarah Fitzpatrick, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2026 California law restricts when local enforcement can coordinate with ICE in making such arrests, and federal officials and Republicans have assailed the policy for hindering immigration enforcement. —

Ethan Varian, Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2026 In announcing the Pentagon’s agreement with Scouting America, the defense secretary assailed the group for welcoming transgender children but stopped short of saying they would be denied entry. —

Tara Copp, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for assailed

Verb

Carney said antisemites in Canada have fired bullets at Jewish schools and thrown firebombs at synagogues and attacked community centers.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 2 June 2026
Thousands of mail carriers across the United States were attacked by dogs in 2025, with Los Angeles topping the list for most attacks, according to a new report from the United States Postal Service.

— Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 1 June 2026