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
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Recent Examples of assaults
Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Rodriguez-Torres' arrest comes amid reports that threats and assaults against ICE officers have surged by more than 1,000% in recent years.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2025
The attack, which took place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, comes amid a sharp rise in anti-Semitic assaults in the US and Europe as the Israel-Hamas war nears the two-year mark.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 3 Oct. 2025
Both management and workers accused each other of assaults during the standoff.
—Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 2 Oct. 2025
That's my biggest fear every night, especially with these increases [in assaults], that everyone gets home safe every night.
—Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2025
Starting in the early '70s, Shakur had frequent run-ins with law enforcement, her name appearing as a person of interest for bank robberies and several violent assaults on police officers.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 26 Sep. 2025
Police called for assaults, contraband Records show violence at Lookout Mountain was commonplace.
—Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 26 Sep. 2025
But while most of these assaults used to come at night, there have been more daytime threats in recent weeks.
—Daria Tarasova-Markina, CNN Money, 25 Sep. 2025
Noun
Cyber attacks are sometimes referred to when talking about types of hybrid assaults, or tactics which aren’t open warfare but are designed to be destabilizing.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Rodriguez-Torres' arrest comes amid reports that threats and assaults against ICE officers have surged by more than 1,000% in recent years.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2025
The attack, which took place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, comes amid a sharp rise in anti-Semitic assaults in the US and Europe as the Israel-Hamas war nears the two-year mark.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 3 Oct. 2025
Both management and workers accused each other of assaults during the standoff.
—Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 2 Oct. 2025
That's my biggest fear every night, especially with these increases [in assaults], that everyone gets home safe every night.
—Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2025
Starting in the early '70s, Shakur had frequent run-ins with law enforcement, her name appearing as a person of interest for bank robberies and several violent assaults on police officers.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 26 Sep. 2025
Police called for assaults, contraband Records show violence at Lookout Mountain was commonplace.
—Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 26 Sep. 2025
But while most of these assaults used to come at night, there have been more daytime threats in recent weeks.
—Daria Tarasova-Markina, CNN Money, 25 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for assaults
Noun
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Amidst their divorce hearings, Guobadia was detained by ICE and deported back to Nigeria, a result of a history of immigration violations, including bank and credit card fraud.—
Julia Moore,
PEOPLE,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Immergut also cited violations of the 10th Amendment and other federal statutes as reasons for her ruling.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In most attacks, bears are trying to defend their food, cubs or space.—
Daniella Segura,
Idaho Statesman,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Kurt's key takeaway The fact that Chrome has already faced six zero-day attacks this year shows how relentless attackers are and how even the most popular software can have serious gaps.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Lanier rapes Forsythe during a job interview, which O’Brien recounts in upsetting, unwavering detail.—
Jared Sullivan,
The Atlantic,
17 Oct. 2024
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Donald treats Ivana with similar contempt, and then rapes her.—
Richard Brody,
The New Yorker,
10 Oct. 2024
Verb
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The episode sees Marge revisit her nostalgia for a Dawson's Creek-esque '90s teen drama as Lisa raids her mom's closet for vintage threads with the help of fashion-forward classmates Devin (Cole Escola) and Vidalia (Stephanie Hsu).—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Sep. 2025
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Appalachian State’s victory at Michigan in 2007 remains the greatest example of what can happen when a good FCS team walks into your house and raids the fridge, and everything else, but leaves the dog.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But others say the law violates the First Amendment rights of counselors wishing to engage in the practice.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Although the ‘9-9-6’ workweek violates Chinese labor laws, it was famously endorsed by Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma in 2019.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Kyle storms off and vows to find whoever is responsible.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
25 Sep. 2025
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If at all possible, things get even worse when another group of men storms the house, claiming to be police.—
Andy Swift,
TVLine,
20 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
August represented somewhat of a lull in Russian strikes.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Efficient, high-torque electric motors can be repurposed for precise navigation and dexterity for military strikes.—
Rebecca A. Fannin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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And maybe, just maybe, forces Hamas to surrender in Gaza.—
Dan Perry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
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Written by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing, the indie is set in the near future, where a retired soldier’s isolated existence is shattered when a runaway female android seeks refuge on his farm, sparking an unexpected bond that forces them to fight for their survival and for each other.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Assaults.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assaults. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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