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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of assaults
Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 9 May 2026
Sawtelle said Coogler also has been punished while awaiting trial in jail for being involved in assaults on other inmates.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 8 May 2026
The attacks, which have been claimed by Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), followed last month's heavy assaults on the government by the group and a Tuareg separatist group, the Azawad Liberation Front, or FLA.
—ABC News, 7 May 2026
Despite the overall decrease, 2025 proved the deadliest year for antisemitic attacks since 1994, with record physical assaults and three killings on American soil.
—David Crary, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
With the drop in on-campus incidents a major factor, the ADL’s latest annual audit — released Wednesday — says there were 6,274 incidents of antisemitic assaults, harassment and vandalism overall in 2025.
—David Crary, Fortune, 6 May 2026
Aryeh Tuchman, director of the Nexus Center for Antisemitism Research and a former ADL antisemitism researcher, called rising assaults − even as overall incidents declined − a red flag, particularly with deadly attacks in 2025.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 6 May 2026
More than 200 physical assaults were recorded nationally for the first time in the organization's history.
—Cbs News Atlanta Digital Team, CBS News, 6 May 2026
Those releases included individuals tied to dozens of homicides, hundreds of assaults and a wide range of other violent and drug-related offenses, ICE said.
—Peter D'abrosca , Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026
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
Noun
The girl reported the assaults to her elementary school teacher while Dixon was incarcerated on unrelated charges, according to court records.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 9 May 2026
Sawtelle said Coogler also has been punished while awaiting trial in jail for being involved in assaults on other inmates.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 8 May 2026
The attacks, which have been claimed by Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), followed last month's heavy assaults on the government by the group and a Tuareg separatist group, the Azawad Liberation Front, or FLA.
—ABC News, 7 May 2026
Despite the overall decrease, 2025 proved the deadliest year for antisemitic attacks since 1994, with record physical assaults and three killings on American soil.
—David Crary, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
With the drop in on-campus incidents a major factor, the ADL’s latest annual audit — released Wednesday — says there were 6,274 incidents of antisemitic assaults, harassment and vandalism overall in 2025.
—David Crary, Fortune, 6 May 2026
Aryeh Tuchman, director of the Nexus Center for Antisemitism Research and a former ADL antisemitism researcher, called rising assaults − even as overall incidents declined − a red flag, particularly with deadly attacks in 2025.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 6 May 2026
More than 200 physical assaults were recorded nationally for the first time in the organization's history.
—Cbs News Atlanta Digital Team, CBS News, 6 May 2026
Those releases included individuals tied to dozens of homicides, hundreds of assaults and a wide range of other violent and drug-related offenses, ICE said.
—Peter D'abrosca , Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 1 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
-
Garcia Martinez was processed for federal immigration law violations and transported to a detention facility with detainers to ensure extradition to New York after final adjudication of the immigration violations, CBP said.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
-
Allegations of sovereignty violations, civilian casualties, and lack of due process have prompted debates about the legality and morality of drone warfare under international humanitarian law.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
In recent years, a litany of violent, seemingly unprovoked attacks across Metro led to the deaths or severe injury of several passengers—a confirmation of Angelenos’ worst fears about the system.—
Oren Peleg,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
-
Earlier this week the United Nations blasted Israel over its strikes killing healthcare workers, saying the World Health Organization has recorded 151 such attacks resulting in 103 deaths and 230 injuries.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
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
-
And when her brother-in-law, Stanley (Marlon Brando), rapes her, her descent into madness was made all the more vivid and believable by Leigh's precise depiction of vulnerability and instability.—
Darren Franich,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
That figure has dwindled to around 3 percent as fewer candidates avail themselves of the money and Congress raids the fund for other things.—
Adam Lashinsky,
Washington Post,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Some owls will hunt the wildlife that raids our garbage cans, like skunks and opossums.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Oilers won nine series in the last four years and represented the West in unsuccessful offensives against the Florida Panthers in each of the past two Junes.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
1 May 2026
-
The army has retaken territory from ethnic militias, including the Three Brotherhood Alliance, which had launched powerful offensives along with pro-democracy resistance forces in northeastern Myanmar near the Chinese border and in western Myanmar.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The second problem with a moratorium on calling your opponents authoritarian is that Trump himself routinely violates it.—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Critics and rights groups have said the DHS campaign violates due process and free speech.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Blanche says on Monday that the noises correspond with the time the suspect allegedly storms the Secret Service security checkpoint on the floor above the ballroom.—
Bill Hutchinson,
ABC News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Inflamed by Ratansen’s adviser’s account of Padmavati’s beauty, Alauddin Khalji storms the fortress by treachery rather than valor.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
When will these onslaughts of cold end?—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Assaults.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assaults. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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