1
as in assaulted
to take sudden, violent action against
our dog unexpectedly attacked the mailman, sinking his teeth into the startled man's leg
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in slammed
to criticize harshly and usually publicly
the mayor and all his aides were attacked mercilessly in the press when the scandal erupted
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in tackled
to start work on energetically
Courtney attacked the huge mess in her room with determination and enthusiasm
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of attacked
When the newlyweds arrive home, they are attacked by Naz and his henchman (played by Matt Willig).
—
Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 27 Apr. 2026
On Friday, April 24, cattle breeder Santiago Barrero San Román was attacked by the bull at the San Marcos Festival in the remote southern Spanish town of Beas de Segura, according to El País, ABC and La Razón.
—Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026
Other civilian vessels have been attacked by Iran's IRGC naval forces and accused of trying to sneak past the country's blockade.
—April 27, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
The father said a group of students attacked his son, dragged him into a bathroom, and pulled a sweater over his head.
—Daniel I. Dorfman, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026
No president has ever attacked the spiritual leader of the Catholic Church so directly and so personally.
—Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
Her husband, Paul Pelosi, was attacked by a hammer-wielding intruder in their home in 2022.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 26 Apr. 2026
The rabbi of Kenton United Synagogue in Harrow, northwest London, which was attacked by arsonists over the weekend, took to social media on Sunday to show members of his congregation gathering in his home to pray.
—Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2026
The latter four chose to ride with Mysterio and attacked Balor on one episode of Raw.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 27 Apr. 2026
On Friday, April 24, cattle breeder Santiago Barrero San Román was attacked by the bull at the San Marcos Festival in the remote southern Spanish town of Beas de Segura, according to El País, ABC and La Razón.
—Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026
Other civilian vessels have been attacked by Iran's IRGC naval forces and accused of trying to sneak past the country's blockade.
—April 27, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
The father said a group of students attacked his son, dragged him into a bathroom, and pulled a sweater over his head.
—Daniel I. Dorfman, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026
No president has ever attacked the spiritual leader of the Catholic Church so directly and so personally.
—Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
Her husband, Paul Pelosi, was attacked by a hammer-wielding intruder in their home in 2022.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 26 Apr. 2026
The rabbi of Kenton United Synagogue in Harrow, northwest London, which was attacked by arsonists over the weekend, took to social media on Sunday to show members of his congregation gathering in his home to pray.
—Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2026
The latter four chose to ride with Mysterio and attacked Balor on one episode of Raw.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for attacked
Verb
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The English wrestler gave Lee a hug in the middle of the ring, but assaulted her.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
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Karzoun was assaulted near a shopping area on North Eagleville Road in the early morning hours after the large party was broken up at Carriage House by Connecticut State Police and the UConn Police Department.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Krebs slammed the puck home to give Buffalo a 1-0 lead.—
Fluto Shinzawa,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Carlsson slammed a shot off Ingram’s right pad that Granlund popped home for his first goal of the spring.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Fuqua’s focus is on the music, with songwriting, video production and choreography scenes, and full-length live performances tackled with staggering precision by Jaafar Jackson, who also sensitively delivers Michael’s repressed anguish in confrontational scenes with his father.—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
23 Apr. 2026
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Another researcher, Stéphane Potier, tackled Ulrich von Ensingen’s early-15th-century ground plan of an octagonal tower at Strasbourg.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The film subsequently triggered an investigation into the nature of the relationship between Michael and Arvizo, and, in November 2003, more than 40 police officers raided Neverland Ranch, per The Guardian.—
Nicole Briese,
PEOPLE,
26 Apr. 2026
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Earlier this month, police raided the offices of Novaya Gazeta, the independent newspaper whose co-founder won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021.—
Nathan Hodge,
CNN Money,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Leon scolded Justice Department attorneys for arguing that the entire project needed to go forward for national security reasons, before previously distinguishing between the bunker below ground and the ballroom above ground.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2026
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Government officials scolded young people for the signs of disrespect.—
Justin Spike,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In the draft room, Bisciotti looked nervous as the pick approached, worried another team — or even his own GM — might snag Randall.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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Bo Erickson | Reuters A source who was attending the event, and was briefed by Secret Service after the shooting, told CNBC’s Eamon Javers that a man with a shotgun had approached metal detectors and was shot by Secret Service agents.—
Kevin Breuninger,
CNBC,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The mentalist was perhaps moments away from climbing inside the mind of the president on Saturday night when a 31-year-old teacher from Los Angeles stormed toward the White House Correspondents’ Dinner with two guns and fired at law enforcement.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
26 Apr. 2026
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Police said the suspect had a shotgun, a handgun and knives, and stormed the lobby, running past security barricades as Secret Service agents raced toward him.—
Calvin Woodward,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The woman who spoke to the FBI about Staley also alleged she’d been abused by Leon Black, a billionaire and former CEO of Apollo Global Management.—
Curt Devine,
CNN Money,
22 Apr. 2026
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Judge Nancy Abudu — appointed by Joe Biden — said the state and federal government failed to show that the district court abused its power.—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Attacked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attacked. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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