1
as in assaulting
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 slamming
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 tackling
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 attacking
The president also shared clips of the video on his Truth Social handle, along with posts mocking and attacking Pretti.
—
Siladitya Ray, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Stay focused on the issue, rather than attacking the other person’s character.
—Molly Burrets, CNBC, 29 Jan. 2026
Autopsy reports for Mogen and Goncalves determined the two young women never stood up once Kohberger began attacking them, which means that the transfer stains had to be left by another person.
—Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
Firefighters were seen attacking the fire from above on a ladder.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
Thug militias attacking citizens.
—Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 27 Jan. 2026
The man who pleaded guilty to attacking employees at Denver-area massage businesses will spend 30 years in prison, according to court records.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 27 Jan. 2026
He has also been accused of attacking authorities with explosives.
—Arkansas Online, 23 Jan. 2026
He has also been accused of attacking authorities with explosives.
—Fabiola Sánchez, Fortune, 22 Jan. 2026
Siladitya Ray, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Stay focused on the issue, rather than attacking the other person’s character.
—Molly Burrets, CNBC, 29 Jan. 2026
Autopsy reports for Mogen and Goncalves determined the two young women never stood up once Kohberger began attacking them, which means that the transfer stains had to be left by another person.
—Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
Firefighters were seen attacking the fire from above on a ladder.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
Thug militias attacking citizens.
—Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 27 Jan. 2026
The man who pleaded guilty to attacking employees at Denver-area massage businesses will spend 30 years in prison, according to court records.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 27 Jan. 2026
He has also been accused of attacking authorities with explosives.
—Arkansas Online, 23 Jan. 2026
He has also been accused of attacking authorities with explosives.
—Fabiola Sánchez, Fortune, 22 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for attacking
Verb
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In August, Richardson was arrested for allegedly assaulting her boyfriend, fellow American sprinter Christian Coleman, at the Seattle Tacoma Airport.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Homan said there will be zero tolerance for interfering, impeding or assaulting officers.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Another clip of the exchange posted by Reedy ended with Hamilton hopping into a van with other officers and slamming his door shut.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
-
McIntyre threw Fatu threw a table and then picked up Rhodes, slamming him into another table with a massive powerbomb.—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Daily sweeping is both about tackling same-day messes and preventing buildup.—
Jamie Cuccinelli,
Martha Stewart,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Find out how to start tackling your high-rate debt now.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Masked federal agents are detaining citizens without cause and raiding Americans’ homes without a judge’s warrant.—
Lautaro Grinspan,
AJC.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Democrats want more sweeping reforms to reign in the tactics, such as prohibiting ICE from deploying excessive force and explicitly preventing them from raiding places of worship, hospitals and schools.—
Sam Gringlas,
NPR,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Sanders, by now a perennial candidate, perfected his craggy, scolding, mitten-waving style.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
19 Jan. 2026
-
But more recently, groups of citizens have grown tired of scolding and have begun reaching for the birch rod.—
Nick Bowlin,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Security footage of the incident showed Richardson approaching Coleman from out of the frame and appears to grab his backpack from behind.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
But with the June primary ballot deadline rapidly approaching, the delay likely nixes the possibility of the city amending its own tax before a possible statewide measure goes before voters.—
CalMatters,
Oc Register,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
An anti-ICE protest outside a Minneapolis hotel turned violent Sunday night, with some smashing windows and throwing bottles as federal officers fought to keep them from storming inside.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
26 Jan. 2026
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That’s slightly stronger than the G1 and G2 strength storming conditions the SWPC had previously forecasted.—
Addy Bink,
The Hill,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Labor Department inspector general's office has interviewed staff in connection with the investigation, which followed a complaint that Chavez-DeRemer was having an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate and abusing her office.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
24 Jan. 2026
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Benny isn’t abusing his daughter.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Attacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attacking. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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