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
Nada Bashir, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
Russia launched 324 drones and three ballistic missiles at Ukraine overnight Wednesday, Ukrainian officials said, part of a broader surge in aerial assaults, according to Reuters.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2026
The assaults took place between September 2023 and March 2024.
—Katie Houlis, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images Based in Okinawa, the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit is capable of amphibious landings and overland assaults.
—Brian Bennett, Time, 15 Apr. 2026
Horner was around 22 years old at the time of the assaults.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Apr. 2026
At the time of his arrest, assaults detectives were already looking for him in connection with three other attacks dating back to February, police said.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026
In 2025, hospital security responded to 478 assaults at the hospital, with Tewksbury police responding to 26 calls for help.
—Rick Pozniak, Boston Herald, 14 Apr. 2026
As of April 5, assaults in the city’s subway system were down by 6%, from 171 this time last year to 160.
—Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 11 Apr. 2026
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
Israel’s assaults typically come with some warning — the ominous buzz of low-flying drones, and an evacuation order shared on social media by the Israel Defense Forces’ Arabic spokesman.
—Nada Bashir, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
Russia launched 324 drones and three ballistic missiles at Ukraine overnight Wednesday, Ukrainian officials said, part of a broader surge in aerial assaults, according to Reuters.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2026
The assaults took place between September 2023 and March 2024.
—Katie Houlis, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images Based in Okinawa, the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit is capable of amphibious landings and overland assaults.
—Brian Bennett, Time, 15 Apr. 2026
Horner was around 22 years old at the time of the assaults.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Apr. 2026
At the time of his arrest, assaults detectives were already looking for him in connection with three other attacks dating back to February, police said.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026
In 2025, hospital security responded to 478 assaults at the hospital, with Tewksbury police responding to 26 calls for help.
—Rick Pozniak, Boston Herald, 14 Apr. 2026
As of April 5, assaults in the city’s subway system were down by 6%, from 171 this time last year to 160.
—Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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
-
Both Israel and Hezbollah have traded accusations of ceasefire violations, with a Lebanese journalist, Amal Khalil, killed in an Israeli airstrike just yesterday.—
Sean Nevin,
NBC news,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Red-light cameras generate municipal revenue by capturing traffic violations, for which drivers are then fined.—
Evy Lewis,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Both Hezbollah and Israel have have defended their attacks and claimed that the other has violated the ceasefire.—
Sarah Dean,
NBC news,
25 Apr. 2026
-
While disrupting the business of an American multinational company may seem a pallid response to the destruction of an Iranian primary school where more than a hundred children were killed, such asymmetric attacks in the physical and digital realms have been a feature of this conflict.—
Sue Halpern,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 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 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
-
Putin is widely expected to launch new offensives as the weather in Ukraine improves, piling further pressure on Kyiv.—
Hanna Arhirova,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The information is disseminated even if the allegations were proven false, which violates the officers’ constitutional rights, the lawsuit claims.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Opponents at home also say the change violates Japan’s pacifist constitution and will increase global tensions and threaten the safety of the Japanese people.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
But in the moment, no one seems more upset by the confession than Rachel, who storms away despite her prior promises not to judge.—
Mike Miller,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 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 27 Apr. 2026.
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