1
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in violation
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
1
as in to attack
to take sudden, violent action against
was found guilty of assaulting an officer enemy forces assaulted the city
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of assault
Paula Wethington, CBS News, 15 June 2026
In the first 30 days of this assault, Israel killed at least 4,100 children—roughly eight times as many children as Russia killed in 21 months during its war of conquest in Ukraine.
—Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 15 June 2026
Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 13 June 2026
She was later arrested on suspicion of evading police and assault with a deadly weapon on an officer, investigators said.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for assault
Noun
Deputies said the vehicle involved in the highway assault matched the description of the vehicle that was taken from the Ash Township home.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 15 June 2026
In the first 30 days of this assault, Israel killed at least 4,100 children—roughly eight times as many children as Russia killed in 21 months during its war of conquest in Ukraine.
—Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 15 June 2026
Verb
Contestant Shandi Sullivan claimed in the documentary that she was assaulted during filming of the show’s second season.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 13 June 2026
She was later arrested on suspicion of evading police and assault with a deadly weapon on an officer, investigators said.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for assault
Recent Examples of Synonyms for assault
Noun
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The Kerch road and rail crossing, opened by Putin in 2018, has been the target of previous Ukrainian attacks.—
Gianluca Mezzofiore,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
-
Two other individuals survived that attack, the military said.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
The California Fair Political Practices Commission said 34 of the violations were for failing to report on time that Newsom and his staff directed outreach from companies and foundations that wanted to help after the Los Angeles wildfires to the California Fire Foundation.—
Taryn Luna,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
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Stanley’s statement came amidst a major lawsuit by the NAACP against Grok’s parent company, xAI, for alleged violations of the Clean Air Act.—
Joe Wilkins,
Futurism,
18 June 2026
Verb
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Growing up in the east London suburbs, Scott would sing in her local church choir in the afternoons, then raid her dad’s Windows Media Player playlists to discover Janet Jackson and Kate Bush in the evenings.—
Liam Hess,
Vogue,
13 June 2026
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Rather than raiding my bar cart, this recipe gets a boost by way of a couple items normally found on the breakfast menu.—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
In 2014, Smith served a nine-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct and substance abuse policies.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 June 2026
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He was suspended multiple times during his career for infractions including violating the league's substance abuse and personal conduct policy.—
Brandon Downs,
CBS News,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
Her 11 offensive rebounds tied the second-most in a single WNBA game.—
Christopher Harris,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
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The government outlawed the group after activists broke into a Royal Air Force base in June 2025 to protest British military support for Israel’s military offensive against Hamas in Gaza, which killed tens of thousands of Palestinians.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 June 2026
Noun
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In 2017, Mayorga hired a new legal team and the allegation of rape was made public, prompting the Las Vegas Police to reopen the case and issue a warrant for a DNA sample from Ronaldo in January.—
Dan Sheldon,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
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The 55-year-old would have been facing a life sentence had he been convicted of initial charges that included first-degree rape, simple criminal damage to property, domestic abuse battery by strangulation, simple robbery, and false imprisonment in the assault.—
Steven J. Horowitz,
Variety,
16 June 2026
Verb
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In April, police used tear gas and pepper spray to repel a large group of animal welfare activists that stormed the farm in an attempt to take beagles from the facility.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 June 2026
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But to compare them with Thomas Jefferson or American soldiers storming the beaches of Normandy is absurd and more than a little insulting.—
Culture Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
Verb
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Initiative, dubbed a ‘Swiss Brexit,’ sought binding limits by 2050, forcing strict curbs on asylum, family reunification and work permits, potentially dismantling Switzerland’s deal on free movement of people and close EU ties.—
Jamey Keaten,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
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Britain has increasingly toughened its approach to tech companies in recent years, urging or forcing them to impose age verification, adapt their algorithms and, most recently, prevent children from circulating nude images taken on mobile phones.—
Reuters,
CNN Money,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Assault.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assault. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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