1
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in attacks
the act or action of setting upon with force or violence
was arrested for his assault of the bystander
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in raids
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for assaults
Noun
-
If there was one, luxury brands operating there would be complicit of economic sanctions violations, if not in the letter, at least in the spirit if most purchases were indeed brought to Russia.—
Stéphane JG Girod,
Forbes,
26 Dec. 2024 -
Accountability mechanisms would have to be built in to ensure violations come at a cost.—
Samuel Charap,
Foreign Affairs,
24 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Lanier rapes Forsythe during a job interview, which O’Brien recounts in upsetting, unwavering detail.—
Jared Sullivan,
The Atlantic,
17 Oct. 2024
-
Donald treats Ivana with similar contempt, and then rapes her.—
Richard Brody,
The New Yorker,
10 Oct. 2024
Verb
-
Incentives could also encompass partial sanctions relief, with snap-back clauses to reimpose them if Russia violates the terms of the deal.—
Samuel Charap,
Foreign Affairs,
24 Dec. 2024
-
Major publishing companies and authors are arguing that a federal judge should deny Florida’s request to dismiss a lawsuit over the removal of school library books, saying a controversial state law violates First Amendment rights.—
Jim Saunders,
Orlando Sentinel,
24 Dec. 2024
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.
Cite this Entry
“Assaults.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assaults. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share