Synonyms of attacked

attacked

verb

past tense of attack

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

• assaulted
• raided
• stormed
• struck
• ambushed
• robbed
• charged
• swarmed
• invaded
• assailed
• rushed
• set at
• turned (on)
• descended (on or upon)
• set on
• bushwhacked
• beset
• jumped (on)
• trashed
• set upon
• went in (on)
• flew at
• rounded on
• surprised
• pounced (on or upon)
• sicced
• went at
• bombed
• flanked
• pitched into
• besieged
• sacked
• tore into
• mobbed
• lit into
• waylaid
• bombarded
• mugged
• beat up on
• blitzed
• plundered
• ravaged
• battered
• looted
• nuked
• buffeted
• ganged up (on)
• barraged
• pillaged
• bum-rushed
• beleaguered
• ambuscaded
• plastered
• cannonaded
• overran
• enveloped
• pressed
• harried
• cannoned
• banged away (at)
• forayed

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• protected
• covered
• secured
• defended
• guarded
• shielded

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

• slammed
• scolded
• abused
• blasted
• criticized
• insulted
• assailed
• savaged
• harassed
• excoriated
• bashed
• cursed
• jumped (on)
• lambasted
• castigated
• trashed
• scathed
• tied into
• vituperated
• berated
• reprimanded
• sailed into
• belabored
• reviled
• lit into
• harangued
• potshot
• affronted
• blasphemed
• beat up on
• disparaged
• slandered
• whipped
• harried
• vilified
• belittled
• libeled
• execrated
• chastised
• profaned
• rebuked
• slurred
• traduced
• aspersed
• imprecated
• fulminated
• laced (into)
• lashed (out)
• bad-mouthed
• blackguarded
• chid
• put down

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• praised
• commended
• hailed
• acclaimed
• complimented
• lauded

3

as in tackled

to start work on energetically

Courtney attacked the huge mess in her room with determination and enthusiasm

Synonyms & Similar Words

• tackled
• approached
• undertook
• addressed
• had at
• pursued
• waded (in or into)
• dived (into)
• went at
• sailed into
• tore into
• faced
• pitched into
• focused (on)
• fell (to)
• settled (down)
• concentrated (on)
• lit into
• plunged (in)
• buckled (down to)
• pitched in
• zeroed (in on)
• knuckled down (to)
• took up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• avoided
• evaded
• shunned
• played
• poked
• fooled
• lagged
• messed
• idled
• trifled
• dawdled
• fiddled (around)
• dallied
• puttered (around)
• pottered (around)
• dillydallied
• monkeyed (around)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of attacked

Carney said antisemites in Canada have fired bullets at Jewish schools and thrown firebombs at synagogues and attacked community centers. —CNN Money, 2 June 2026

Thousands of mail carriers across the United States were attacked by dogs in 2025, with Los Angeles topping the list for most attacks, according to a new report from the United States Postal Service. —Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 1 June 2026

Since then, the IRGC has charged tolls on ships granted permission and attacked any that tried to cross unauthorized. —Jason Ma, Fortune, 1 June 2026

During the gathering, a man attacked participants by throwing Molotov cocktails into the crowd. —Sarah Horbacewicz, CBS News, 1 June 2026

Pelley also attacked the credentials of Bilton, a former New York Times tech reporter and documentary filmmaker, who, like Weiss, has no previous experience running a TV news operation. —Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026

Indigenous men grieved but also fumed when women were attacked. —Literary Hub, 26 May 2026

In 1926, when the founder of modern Saudi Arabia conquered Mecca, his religious militia attacked the Egyptian caravan in a clash known as the Maḥmal Incident. —Iqbal Akhtar, The Conversation, 25 May 2026

The Clairemont mosque was attacked last Monday by two teenage shooters armed with multiple weapons, killing three people before taking their own lives immediately after the assault. —Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 May 2026