1
as in attacking
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 assaulting
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
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Recent Examples of assailing
In 1495 Columbus retaliated by assailing Taíno villages and capturing chiefs.
—
Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for assailing
Verb
-
The president also shared clips of the video on his Truth Social handle, along with posts mocking and attacking Pretti.—
Siladitya Ray,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Stay focused on the issue, rather than attacking the other person’s character.—
Molly Burrets,
CNBC,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In August, Richardson was arrested for allegedly assaulting her boyfriend, fellow American sprinter Christian Coleman, at the Seattle Tacoma Airport.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Homan said there will be zero tolerance for interfering, impeding or assaulting officers.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Another clip of the exchange posted by Reedy ended with Hamilton hopping into a van with other officers and slamming his door shut.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
-
McIntyre threw Fatu threw a table and then picked up Rhodes, slamming him into another table with a massive powerbomb.—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Masked federal agents are detaining citizens without cause and raiding Americans’ homes without a judge’s warrant.—
Lautaro Grinspan,
AJC.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Democrats want more sweeping reforms to reign in the tactics, such as prohibiting ICE from deploying excessive force and explicitly preventing them from raiding places of worship, hospitals and schools.—
Sam Gringlas,
NPR,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
An anti-ICE protest outside a Minneapolis hotel turned violent Sunday night, with some smashing windows and throwing bottles as federal officers fought to keep them from storming inside.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
26 Jan. 2026
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That’s slightly stronger than the G1 and G2 strength storming conditions the SWPC had previously forecasted.—
Addy Bink,
The Hill,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Assailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assailing. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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