assaulting

verb

present participle of assault
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

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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 Conviser’s case, which was partially dismissed for lack of standing, accused legendary DePaul softball coach Eugene Lenti of verbally and mentally abusing his athletes and physically assaulting a staffer. — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 17 Aug. 2026 The case has also received widespread coverage in the US – including on CNN – where Trump has been assaulting DEI policies. — Rupert Neate, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026 As if assaulting people and shooting people in the streets wasn’t enough. — Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 16 Aug. 2026 According to court documents, the phone contained videos of Ayres assaulting Dunn repeatedly, at one point punching her in the face. — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 15 Aug. 2026 By Bay City News An inmate serving a life sentence was convicted of assaulting a correctional officer in 2023 with a homemade dagger at Salinas Valley State Prison, the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office said. — Bay City News, Mercury News, 15 Aug. 2026 In addition to the federal investigations, Mills has been accused of misrepresenting his military record, engaging in unethical business dealings, assaulting a girlfriend and stalking an ex-girlfriend. — Annie Martin, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 Aug. 2026 Gilman, of Lowell, Massachusetts, was imprisoned on charges of assaulting a Russian police officer. — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2026 He was later convicted of attacking a prison inspector and assaulting a guard while in prison and was sentenced to a further eight years and one month in 2024 and was again extended to 10 years in December 2025, AP reported. — Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 12 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for assaulting
  1. violating
  2. attacking
  3. raping
  4. raiding
  5. storming
  6. robbing
  7. ambushing
Verb
  • Now, the state attorney general says the city must pay a fine or face a lawsuit for violating a state law protecting Confederate monuments and other longstanding memorials.
    — Riley Bunch, AJC.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Industry leaders say its inability to cite casinos for violating federal law or force the emergency closure of unsafe facilities is particularly troubling.
    — Savannah Peters, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of violating
Verb
  • New arrival Maghnes Akliouche adds another attacking option this summer, while the signing of Lucas Digne from Villa gives this particular fixture an early subplot, with the full-back facing his old club straight out of the gate.
    — Dean Jones, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Three men are charged with attacking a CBS News Chicago crew near the Adler Planetarium at the end of June, before pointing a gun at people in the city's Brighton Park neighborhood before they were arrested.
    — CBS Chicago Team, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of attacking
Verb
  • The game centers on a male character stalking and raping a mother and her two young daughters.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Conahan was arrested in February 1997, accused of raping Montgomery, strangling him and cutting off his genitals to eliminate DNA tracing.
    — CBS Miami Team, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of raping
Verb
  • Police won’t be raiding movie theaters or restaurants in search of juveniles, according to CMPD.
    — Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 11 Aug. 2026
  • In September of 2022, Spanish police arrested an Irishman suspected of laundering money for the Kinahan organization after raiding a property in Malaga on the Costa del Sol.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of raiding
Verb
  • That’s been the story of this third season, one that started with Rhaenyra storming the castle and taking the Iron Throne and then promptly saw her get picked apart by dozens of unforeseen calamities.
    — Brian Grubb, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Despite a 25% decline in gold from its high in January, proponents of the precious metal are storming into bullish call positions after almost two months of sideways action gives way to a rally Friday following weak jobs data.
    — Oliver Renick, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of storming
Verb
  • Amanda Hernandez, the wife of one of the men who posed as a DTE utility worker and was convicted of robbing and killing a Rochester Hills businessman in 2024, was sentenced on Wednesday for her role in the crime.
    — Alysia Burgio, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Thieves have long used a variety of methods — tapping into ducts, hijacking tanker trucks or robbing directly from facilities of Petroleos Mexicanos, the state energy company known as Pemex.
    — Foreign Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of robbing
Verb
  • After ambushing Nobel hopeful Kersten onboard, Wohmann makes multiple attempts to interview him.
    — Alissa Simon, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Prosecutors, meanwhile, have alleged that Mangione meticulously planned the killing for months, documenting his thoughts in journals and traveling across the country before ambushing Thompson in New York City.
    — Stepheny Price , Michael Ruiz , Maria Paronich, FOXNews.com, 18 June 2026
Definition of ambushing

Browse Nearby Words

assaulters
assaulting
assaultive
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Cite this Entry

“Assaulting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assaulting. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of assaulting for Spanish Speakers

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