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

The girl was 11 years old when the assaults began, according to prosecutors. —

Logan Smith, CBS News, 31 May 2026 Some detailed violent interactions with customers, including robberies and physical assaults, and said the company didn’t provide safety training. —

Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026 Designed with a front-loading ramp, the craft allowed troops, vehicles, and supplies to land directly onto beaches during amphibious assaults. —

Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 28 May 2026 Putin is lashing out by intensifying assaults on civilian targets, especially in the capital city of Kyiv. —

Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026 Activision says the campaign storyline will take players from trench warfare in Korea to close-quarters battles in New York, to high-speed pursuits through Paris, SAS night raids in Mumbai, and city-wide assaults to reclaim territory. —

Jennifer Maas, Variety, 28 May 2026 Physical assaults reached a record high. —

Jonathan Greenblatt, Sun Sentinel, 27 May 2026 Yet over the same period, assaults inside schools rose. —

Jennifer Weber, Washington Post, 26 May 2026 Russia has dramatically escalated its aerial assaults in the recent week after the end of the short ceasefire, launching massive drone barrages targeting cities and logistical hubs across Ukraine, including areas near NATO territory close to the Polish border. —

Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 23 May 2026

Verb

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 Any person who assaults, threatens, intimidates, or interferes with airline crewmembers can face criminal charges and civil penalties costing up to $3,658 per violation, the statement read. —

Cbs New York Team, CBS News, 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

Other violations throughout the years included creating another public nuisance in 2006 that generated more than 10 complaints and operating equipment contrary to its permit.

— Jason Henry, Oc Register, 30 May 2026
The facility was inspected by the department three other times in the last five years and was cited for violations unrelated to chemicals and storage.

— Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 29 May 2026