ASSAULTS Synonyms: 124 Similar and Opposite Words

assaults 1 of 2

noun

plural of assault

as in violations

the act of forcing a person to engage in sexual activity and especially intercourse attended a class teaching women self-defense against assault

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Relevance

as in attacks

the act or action of setting upon with force or violence was arrested for his assault of the bystander

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assaults

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of assault

as in rapes

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

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as in raids

to take sudden, violent action against was found guilty of assaulting an officer enemy forces assaulted the city

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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 assaults

Noun

Moscow showed no signs of letting up its aerial assaults elsewhere. — ABC News, 4 Nov. 2026 Elsewhere, Moscow showed no signs of letting up its aerial assaults. — Susie Blann, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026 In July, a grand jury returned dozens of indictments over the murders of five inmates, assaults against staff and other acts of violence. — News Editor, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026 Cops in the 62nd Precinct, who protect the section of the Shore Parkway promenade where Suarez was attacked, have seen a 17% increase in assaults this year, from 202 last year to 237. — Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 1 Nov. 2026 Deputies will continue to respond to all Priority 1 calls, including reports of homicides, assaults, hostage situations, hit-and-run collisions, robberies, shots fired and plane crashes. — Michael McGough, Sacbee.com, 30 Oct. 2026 Following its release, six women independently went to police and accused him of past assaults. — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 28 Oct. 2026 Both of the women Masterson was convicted of raping in were members of Scientology at the time of the assaults. — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 27 Oct. 2026 At the hearing, prosecutors argued for life in prison, citing the brothers’ decadeslong assaults of dozens of women (over 70 have come forward) and lack of remorse. — Kim Velsey, Curbed, 27 Oct. 2026

Verb

Chris Brown physically assaults then-girlfriend Rihanna Brown and then-girlfriend Rihanna had an argument that escalated into physical violence on the part of Brown. — Alex Heigl, PEOPLE, 26 Oct. 2026 Anyone who assaults law enforcement will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. — Christina Fan, CBS News, 7 June 2026 Any passenger who assaults, threatens, intimidates or interferes with airline crew members can lead to penalties of up to $43,658 per violation, according to the FAA. — Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 3 May 2026 The Pios’ culture assaults the senses the moment players step onto campus. — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 13 Apr. 2026 The White House told ProPublica that anyone who assaults federal immigration agents would be prosecuted. — Nicole Foy, ProPublica, 18 Oct. 2025 The Kid also physically assaults Apollonia at one point. — Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 17 Oct. 2025 Continue reading … SKY SCUFFLE – Passenger allegedly assaults Alaska Airlines crew members, forces emergency landing at Boise Airport. — FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for assaults

Noun

Miami Beach code compliance officers also checked on the polling station at least six times for possible loud music and signage code adherence pertaining to Basabe, although no violations were issued, records show.

— Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2026
On Tuesday, the Department of Justice will be sending 1,000 election monitors to all 50 states, including Minnesota, to report any voting violations.

— John Lauritsen, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of violations

Noun

Monday's attacks on a shelter and former school with bunker-busting bombs came as people were lined up for aid in Komyshuvakha, a village in the Zaporizhzhia region.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 4 Nov. 2026
Russia ramped up its aerial attacks on towns and cities across the country over the summer, striking at all times of the day.

— Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of attacks

Verb

In that film’s story, Insiang (Hilda Koronel) metes out revenge against Dado (Ruel Vernal), her hateful mother’s lover, who rapes her after rejecting his advances.

— Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 10 July 2026
Through these photos, Dominique Pelicot is not ‘just’ casting an incestuous gaze on me, as was said during the investigation and the Mazan rapes trial.

— TIME, Time, 7 Apr. 2026

Definition of rapes

Verb

In the character's final scene, as the DEA raids her rural compound, Laurie ties a rope around her neck and jumps from the roof of her home.

— Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 1 June 2026
In the meantime, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) finally raids Laurie's property, thanks to the intel Rue had been giving them.

— Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 1 June 2026

Definition of raids

Noun

Ukraine can conduct localized offensives but not enough to shift the broader battlefield balance, despite mounting Russian losses.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026
Only small offensives are possible Ukraine can conduct localized offensives but not enough to shift the broader battlefield balance, despite mounting Russian losses.

— Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of offensives

Verb

In addition to the First Amendment, TikTok, Meta and Google argue that the law violates Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act, which shields tech companies from liability for material posted on their sites by third parties.

— ABC News, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2026
In September, Numme sued her landlord, alleging that the elimination of her parking violates California’s fair housing and disability laws, as well as city tenant anti-harassment laws.

— Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of violates

Noun

Its songs are littered with black holes, disasters, nuclear bombs; there are guttural screams and onslaughts of distorted guitar.

— Marissa Lorusso, Pitchfork, 28 Oct. 2026
In fact, reported evidence suggests this software commitment (from a company making its revenue from hardware) has been crucial to Nvidia’s success in fending off onslaughts from other hardware vendors such as Intel.

— Nisha Talagala, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026