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
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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
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
Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2025
Lo then jumps overboard to escape the assault and swims through the freezing waters to shore.
—Megan McCluskey, Time, 10 Oct. 2025
Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 9 Oct. 2025
An 11-year-old girl woke to her mother being assaulted by her ex-boyfriend, then called 911 for help, Arizona prosecutors say.
—Daniella Segura, Sacbee.com, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for assault
Noun
Following the internal investigation, Del Río was fired and escorted off the lot, the same day that the alleged assault was reported.
—Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2025
Lo then jumps overboard to escape the assault and swims through the freezing waters to shore.
—Megan McCluskey, Time, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
Despite this, Moore retained access to students, leaving him to groom and assault the plaintiff, then later threaten her at gunpoint to keep silent.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 9 Oct. 2025
An 11-year-old girl woke to her mother being assaulted by her ex-boyfriend, then called 911 for help, Arizona prosecutors say.
—Daniella Segura, Sacbee.com, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for assault
Recent Examples of Synonyms for assault
Noun
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The Islamists were seen as complicit in India’s worst plane hijack in 1999 and the 2008 attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul, which killed several Indian citizens, including two senior diplomats.—
Happymon Jacob,
Time,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Shannon will man larger perimeter players, but not necessarily the point of attack as often.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
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And there have been 70 weapons violations with a gun this year, versus 43 in 2024.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Tamara and her cousins say the audio release is just the latest violation of their rights under Marsy’s Law, a California statute that gives crime victims the rights to privacy, dignity and respect.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Two of Beane’s top free-agent signings, defensive end Michael Hoecht and defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi, are returning from six-game suspensions for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drugs policy.—
Tim Graham,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
The judge ruled that arresting and deporting non-citizen students for such reasons violated the First Amendment.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
According to reports via Israeli outlet Ynet, the violence erupted when Hamas militants raided the neighborhood of Sabra in Gaza City, home to a clan called Doghmush, also known as the Al Doghmush family militia.—
Emma Bussey , Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
13 Oct. 2025
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As wagers on the 2024 election grew last year, the CFTC renewed its scrutiny, and the FBI raided founder Shayne Coplan’s home in November.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
What Linda is dealing with is an onslaught of soul-crushing strife.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
10 Oct. 2025
-
The left-hander’s approach was simple in practice, but the Dodgers could not combat the early onslaught of sinkers in the strike zone that put them in unfavorable counts all afternoon.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
For more than 40 years, the person responsible for the brutal rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl on Long Island has eluded capture.—
Lauren del Valle,
CNN Money,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Others labeled black people monkeys and called for rape against their political opponents.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The anger mirrors recent protests against ruling elites in countries including Nepal, where the prime minister was forced to resign last month, and Morocco.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
13 Oct. 2025
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In the end, real victims are forced to wait longer for relief, while public trust in judicial fairness continues to erode.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Hours later, the players stormed onto the NFL turf under the bright stadium lights, ready to battle it out in a three-team round robin against the Murrieta Hawkeyes and Shadow Hawks.—
Stephanie Ogilvie,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Oct. 2025
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The 34-year-old Colombian artist stormed the runway to perform between the parade of angel wings, and received her own coveted feathers in the process.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
15 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Assault.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assault. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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