1
as in rape
the act of forcing a person to engage in sexual activity and especially intercourse
attended a class teaching women self-defense against assault
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in attack
the act or action of setting upon with force or violence
was arrested for his assault of the bystander
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in to attack
to take sudden, violent action against
was found guilty of assaulting an officer enemy forces assaulted the city
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of assault
Jeanna Smialek, BostonGlobe.com, 30 Jan. 2023
Within days of his assault on White, Seneca allegedly attempted to kidnap a different man and allegedly kidnapped another, the Justice Department said in a previous statement.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC News, 26 Jan. 2023
Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 7 Apr. 2025
One official told the Times that extremists had been found to be talking about assaulting justices, tracking their movements, and examining a floor plan of a judicial building.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for assault
Noun
That is why the Fed is taking a cautious stance and trying to avoid pulling back prematurely from its assault on inflation.
—Jeanna Smialek, BostonGlobe.com, 30 Jan. 2023
Within days of his assault on White, Seneca allegedly attempted to kidnap a different man and allegedly kidnapped another, the Justice Department said in a previous statement.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC News, 26 Jan. 2023
Verb
Though Ventura has not spoken publicly about the suit, a video released by CNN showed Combs allegedly assaulting Ventura in a hotel hallway in 2016.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 7 Apr. 2025
One official told the Times that extremists had been found to be talking about assaulting justices, tracking their movements, and examining a floor plan of a judicial building.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for assault
Recent Examples of Synonyms for assault
Noun
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An Alabama man convicted of a 2010 rape and murder on Thursday with a three-drug injection.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Apr. 2025
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Dana Martin, then an inmate at a prison in Las Cruces, N.M., was already serving two life sentences for the 2000 rape and murder of 15-year-old DeAndra Florucci.—
Ryan Coleman,
EW.com,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
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In March, two days of U.S. attacks killed more than 50 people, Houthi officials said.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
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Another suspect, Jamison Wagner of New Mexico, faces federal charges in connection with two separate arson attacks on a Tesla dealership and the Republican Party's state headquarters in Albuquerque, according to court documents unsealed this week.—
Alexander Mallin,
ABC News,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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In legal terms, the lawsuits are saying oil and gas companies violated consumer-protection laws and committed common-law civil violations such as negligence.—
Hannah Wiseman,
The Conversation,
18 Apr. 2025
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In a series of lawsuits following the order, plaintiffs, including 22 Democratic state attorneys general and immigrant rights advocates, argued that Trump's order violates a right protected by the U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment: anyone born in the United States is a citizen.—
Terry Moseley,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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A little less than a month after the meeting, the FBI raided the offices of Feeding Our Future.—
Alex Derosier,
Twin Cities,
12 Apr. 2025
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Getty Images — Erin Doherty 23 Hours Ago Tech, finance leaders reportedly visiting Trump to ‘talk common sense’ on tariffs An aerial view of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home after Trump said that FBI agents raided it, in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. August 15, 2022.—
Erin Doherty,Annika Kim Constantino,Yun Li,
CNBC,
5 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The post was an apparent violation of Major League Baseball’s social media policy, which prohibits the use of electronic devices during games.—
Paulina Dedaj,
FOXNews.com,
19 Apr. 2025
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The withholding of files, Tate said, could amount to a Brady violation, referring to the rule that requires prosecutors to disclose material exculpatory information in the government’s possession to the defense.—
Jenny Jarvie,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Well, that portion of the proclamation has spurred quite an onslaught of chuckles and guffaws.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
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For whatever reason, the default federal approach has been to assume that U.S. taxpayers should help pay for any efforts needed to slow the sewage onslaught from Tijuana.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Apr. 2025
Verb
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If insurance continues to be unavailable and agencies continue to shut down, thousands of children will be forced into a state system that has neither the room nor the money to care for almost 15,000 more children.—
Joseph T. Monahan,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2025
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Five years after the pandemic forced children into remote instruction, two-thirds of U.S. fourth graders still cannot read at grade level.—
K. Dara Hill,
The Conversation,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Such is the case with this 15-minute fictionalized short inspired by the traumatic aftermath of a real event — when a group of Proud Boys in 2022 stormed a Drag Queen Story Hour program at the East Bay’s San Lorenzo Library and proceeded to hurl gay and transphobic slurs there.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
16 Apr. 2025
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Soon after Noboa took office in 2023, the country suffered back-to-back emergencies: a notorious gang leader escaped from prison; days later, a band of gunmen stormed a major TV station and took the staff hostage.—
Max Saltman,
CNN Money,
11 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Assault.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assault. Accessed 28 Apr. 2025.
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