1
as in violating
to engage in sexual activity and especially intercourse with a person unwilling or unable to give consent
was registered as a sex offender after assaulting the victim
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in attacking
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of assaulting
Federal prosecutors have charged Omari Juan Beidleman with assaulting two members of the Mississippi National Guard during a patrol at the Capitol South Metro station.
—
Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2025
Insist that the federal government deploy those resources to get the violent offenders who are killing, assaulting and robbing law-abiding citizens on the city’s South and West sides.
—Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 3 Sep. 2025
The witness said the confrontation stemmed from the teen's prior behavior, including attempting to steal a firearm, assaulting a female, and making threats.
—Drake Bentley, jsonline.com, 3 Sep. 2025
The woman told police that her intoxicated boyfriend, who was driving, had a handgun and was assaulting her, police said.
—Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Sep. 2025
He was booked into a Los Angeles County jail later that day and charged with a misdemeanor on an allegation of assaulting a police officer during the incident.
—Raechal Shewfelt, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Here, Emmy winner Edebiri’s character accuses Garfield’s assistant professor of assaulting her after a party, and the film tracks his rapid mental dissolution and disgraced academic status with some standout moments.
—Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 29 Aug. 2025
He was charged with assaulting a family or household member after a woman told authorities Ward strangled and threatened her, according to police records.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 28 Aug. 2025
But at least one other DC federal grand jury has refused − three times − to indict a woman accused of assaulting an FBI agent, according to The Washington Post.
—Josh Meyer, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2025
Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2025
Insist that the federal government deploy those resources to get the violent offenders who are killing, assaulting and robbing law-abiding citizens on the city’s South and West sides.
—Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 3 Sep. 2025
The witness said the confrontation stemmed from the teen's prior behavior, including attempting to steal a firearm, assaulting a female, and making threats.
—Drake Bentley, jsonline.com, 3 Sep. 2025
The woman told police that her intoxicated boyfriend, who was driving, had a handgun and was assaulting her, police said.
—Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Sep. 2025
He was booked into a Los Angeles County jail later that day and charged with a misdemeanor on an allegation of assaulting a police officer during the incident.
—Raechal Shewfelt, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Here, Emmy winner Edebiri’s character accuses Garfield’s assistant professor of assaulting her after a party, and the film tracks his rapid mental dissolution and disgraced academic status with some standout moments.
—Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 29 Aug. 2025
He was charged with assaulting a family or household member after a woman told authorities Ward strangled and threatened her, according to police records.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 28 Aug. 2025
But at least one other DC federal grand jury has refused − three times − to indict a woman accused of assaulting an FBI agent, according to The Washington Post.
—Josh Meyer, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for assaulting
Verb
-
Rice was unavailable for Friday’s game, serving the first game of his six-game league suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Bubba is named in the suit, accused of helping to develop the film using Hulk’s trademarks without permission, and of violating a settlement agreement.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
At least four young men are seen attacking the boy at various points.—
Drake Bentley,
jsonline.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
When combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors – the breakthrough immunotherapy that prevents the immune system from attacking healthy cells – the T cells' tumor-fighting capacity was further enhanced.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
One unbearable sequence has Chiang coming back angry in the middle of the day and suddenly raping Chuan in their bedroom.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Pena was previously accused of raping an American woman vacationing in Costa Rica, and the pair were allegedly associated with TdA, a foreign terrorist organization.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Simpson goes away to college, in Chicago, though not without her mother raiding her personal loan.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Almost half of America's youngest workers are raiding their retirement accounts just to get by, a new report has found.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Tony and Zive take off, eluding Henry and the Interpol agents storming the hospital.—
Matt Webb Mitovich,
TVLine,
4 Sep. 2025
-
In Bandung, protesters lit tires on fire, while in Ternate, police used teargas to stop crowds storming parliament buildings.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Caroline conveniently grows a conscience right around the time when the couple starts robbing banks in earnest.—
Vikram Murthi,
IndieWire,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Drummond has served prison time for robbing a convenience store and threatening to go after jurors.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The president has constantly mocked Powell on social media, and accused him of mismanaging renovations of the Fed’s headquarters, even ambushing the Fed chief with a new cost estimate for a facility renovation in front of rolling television cameras.—
Tobias Burns,
The Hill,
29 Aug. 2025
-
Meanwhile, rogues’ daggers deal heavy damage when ambushing foes with a flurry of stamina-draining attacks.—
Gieson Cacho,
Mercury News,
6 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Assaulting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assaulting. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share