1
as in attacked
to criticize harshly and usually publicly
the union organizers assailed the chemical company for failing to provide a safe working environment
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in assaulted
to take sudden, violent action against
the small birds assailed the larger one that had threatened their nest
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of assailed
Lander assailed Goldman for not being tough enough on Israel over its military action against Palestinians.
—
Steve Peoples,
Fortune,
24 June 2026
Lander assailed Goldman for not being tough enough on Israel over its military action against Palestinians.
—
ABC News,
23 June 2026
Lander has assailed Goldman for accepting AIPAC’s endorsement and for voting to send military aid to Israel, which Lander has vowed to oppose.
—
Russell Berman,
The Atlantic,
7 June 2026
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
Steve Peoples,
Fortune,
24 June 2026
Lander assailed Goldman for not being tough enough on Israel over its military action against Palestinians.
—
ABC News,
23 June 2026
Lander has assailed Goldman for accepting AIPAC’s endorsement and for voting to send military aid to Israel, which Lander has vowed to oppose.
—
Russell Berman,
The Atlantic,
7 June 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for assailed
Verb
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Daga, Berto, Angel, Bronco Nima and Karmen Petrovic attacked El Grande Americano and took off their jackets to reveal their Los Perros del Mal T-shirts.
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The prosecution said the two activists had incited a mob that subsequently attacked a security vehicle, seized the soldier and beat him to death with sticks and bricks.
Verb
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Louis rips his spine out, dislocates his jaw, and reads Claudia’s diary entries about how she was repeatedly assaulted by him.
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Two officers were assaulted during this time.
Verb
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Moments later, police say Carvahlo slammed head-on into a Chevy Cruze being driven by a Haverhill man in his 20s.
-
My jaw was slack, my eyes were slammed shut, and my tongue hung out, touching the ground.
Verb
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Kerr’s home in Florida was raided by the FBI on the same day.
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Emilee Hackney is an eighth-generation Appalachian who grew up in the coalfields of southwest Virginia in a family so impoverished her parents occasionally raided her and her brother’s piggy banks to pay the mortgage and buy groceries.
Verb
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Davis remembered once being scolded as a teenager by her mother after being caught speaking poorly of a classmate.
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Well versed in what the lunar surface truly offers, Britt scolded a number of arty accounts of lunar territory promulgated by both NASA and commercial space ventures.
Verb
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Witnesses told the court that, on July 30, 2025, Buck-Hayes stormed into Vogler's Danville office and doused him with gasoline before chasing him out of the building and setting him on fire, according to Cardinal News.
-
Gunther took out Sami Zayn after a delay, but Sami stormed back into the match and hammered Gunther with punches.
Verb
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Satellite photos showed the destruction in Venezuela left by two powerful earthquakes that struck Wednesday and left more than 900 people dead.
-
Days after twin earthquakes struck Venezuela, rescuers continue their search for survivors in the debris.
Cite this Entry
“Assailed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assailed. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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