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
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
Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2025
Cyber attacks are sometimes referred to when talking about types of hybrid assaults, or tactics which aren’t open warfare but are designed to be destabilizing.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 26 Sep. 2025
The Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office has charged Hernandez Santana with firing a gun into an inhabited building and assault with a semi-automatic firearm.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for assault
Noun
The initial phase of the deployment includes a Marine air-ground task force aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima and two San Antonio-class transport ships, with more than 2,000 Marines prepared for rapid-response missions.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2025
Cyber attacks are sometimes referred to when talking about types of hybrid assaults, or tactics which aren’t open warfare but are designed to be destabilizing.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
Netanyahu's speech came as Israeli forced assaulted Gaza City amid famine conditions in the coastal territory.
—Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 26 Sep. 2025
The Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office has charged Hernandez Santana with firing a gun into an inhabited building and assault with a semi-automatic firearm.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for assault
Recent Examples of Synonyms for assault
Noun
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The confirmation of drones over Germany comes as NATO's Denmark investigates a wave of drone disruption to its airports that officials have characterized as a hybrid attack, and coincides with Estonian, Polish, and Romanian accusations against Russia of serious airspace incursions.—
Robert Birsel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Overseas activists have tried to deliver aid in the past to Gaza but have either been intercepted by Israeli forces or come under some form of attack.—
Billy Stockwell,
CNN Money,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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No violations of Polish airspace were reported.—
Emma Marsden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Portland sent a notice to the building’s private owners last week, saying ICE has committed code violations by boarding up windows and keeping some detainees in the holding facility for longer than 12 hours.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Since then Russia is suspected of testing NATO’s resolve by violating the airspace of Norway, Romania, Denmark, Lithuania, Estonia, and now Germany too.—
Robert Birsel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
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Though Russian craft have repeatedly violated NATO airspace during its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the shootdowns over Poland represented the first time NATO had shot down Russian drones.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The singer has been vocal about foregoing tour stops in the US, citing fears that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would raid the concert venues.—
Sandra Gonzalez,
CNN Money,
29 Sep. 2025
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The episode sees Marge revisit her nostalgia for a Dawson's Creek-esque '90s teen drama as Lisa raids her mom's closet for vintage threads with the help of fashion-forward classmates Devin (Cole Escola) and Vidalia (Stephanie Hsu).—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The onslaught of lefties, in many ways, makes more sense against these Phillies.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Swift's appearances also brought an onslaught of criticism from male fans, who were mad that her presence was distracting from the game.—
Luke Chinman,
PEOPLE,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Child recruitment by armed gangs surged by 70% last year, while rapes are on the rise.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Cassie, his ex-girlfriend who first sued him for rape and trafficking, took the stand to tell her stories of their toxic relationship.—
Armon Sadler,
VIBE.com,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The event comes as the government is careening toward a potential shutdown that could force some 2 million troops to work without pay if a spending bill doesn't pass Congress by midnight Wednesday.—
Anne Flaherty,
ABC News,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Modern inkjets, including ink tank printers, will rarely force you to spend time cleaning with manual commands.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Proposition 50 is California’s armament in a redistricting war that has stormed into at least three states and threatens to spread to others.—
Nicole Nixon,
Sacbee.com,
2 Oct. 2025
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At the height of the protests the demonstrators stormed and partially burnt the parliament in Nairobi and dozens of protesters were killed.—
Emmanuel Akinwotu,
NPR,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Assault.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assault. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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