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
Advertisement The arguments against conversion therapy aren’t about attacking religion or silencing free speech.
—
Timothy Schraeder Rodriguez, Time, 8 Oct. 2025
Sherrill has pinned the blame on the Republican candidate’s campaign, going so far as to run an ad attacking Ciattarelli over the issue.
—Caroline Vakil, The Hill, 8 Oct. 2025
Until then, Aaronson can only execute the instructions he is given, and, seven games into the campaign, only one attacking midfielder or winger in the Premier League has done more defensive work than him.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities recently launched a campaign attacking the governor for allowing the state’s overreliance on property taxes to worsen and for seeking to slash summer work programs that assist the state’s troubled youths.
—Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 15 Mar. 2025
The early glimpses show a player with real potential in the attacking third, capable of thriving in transition and striking well at goal.
—Patrick Boyland, The Athletic, 14 Mar. 2025
The European drive to rearm is being driven, or justified, in part by the fear that Russia may try to test NATO by attacking Poland or the Baltic States.
—Anatol Lieven, TIME, 14 Mar. 2025
The kidnapping culminated with Braeburn attacking Chimney (Kenneth Choi) and ultimately shot dead by Athena (Angela Bassett) — but not before exposing the missing persons detective's multiple personalities and painful past.
—Patrick Gomez, EW.com, 14 Mar. 2025
Completely misreading Hamas, the army believed that it was deterred from attacking Israel by the outcome of previous fighting.
—Gershom Gorenberg, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2025
Timothy Schraeder Rodriguez, Time, 8 Oct. 2025
Sherrill has pinned the blame on the Republican candidate’s campaign, going so far as to run an ad attacking Ciattarelli over the issue.
—Caroline Vakil, The Hill, 8 Oct. 2025
Until then, Aaronson can only execute the instructions he is given, and, seven games into the campaign, only one attacking midfielder or winger in the Premier League has done more defensive work than him.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities recently launched a campaign attacking the governor for allowing the state’s overreliance on property taxes to worsen and for seeking to slash summer work programs that assist the state’s troubled youths.
—Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 15 Mar. 2025
The early glimpses show a player with real potential in the attacking third, capable of thriving in transition and striking well at goal.
—Patrick Boyland, The Athletic, 14 Mar. 2025
The European drive to rearm is being driven, or justified, in part by the fear that Russia may try to test NATO by attacking Poland or the Baltic States.
—Anatol Lieven, TIME, 14 Mar. 2025
The kidnapping culminated with Braeburn attacking Chimney (Kenneth Choi) and ultimately shot dead by Athena (Angela Bassett) — but not before exposing the missing persons detective's multiple personalities and painful past.
—Patrick Gomez, EW.com, 14 Mar. 2025
Completely misreading Hamas, the army believed that it was deterred from attacking Israel by the outcome of previous fighting.
—Gershom Gorenberg, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for attacking
Verb
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Tate has been accused of assaulting at least four 14 and 15-year-old boys, but police believe that there could be more victims and are encouraging parents to speak with their children to see if they were harmed.—
Armon Sadler,
VIBE.com,
7 Oct. 2025
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The two protesters recently appeared in the Mecklenburg County Courthouse for their misdemeanor charges of assaulting an officer during the June 14 march that filled uptown Charlotte’s streets.—
Julia Coin,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Israel, meanwhile, has emerged from the war in a much stronger security position after decimating Hamas in Gaza, slamming Hezbollah in Lebanon, and hammering Iran's nuclear facilities.—
Greg Myre,
NPR,
9 Oct. 2025
-
Bill Burr is lashing out at critics for slamming his appearance at the Riyadh Comedy Festival.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Pop on the pet power brush for tackling smaller surface areas prone to pet hair build up, like couches, armchairs, pet beds, and carpeted stairs.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Oct. 2025
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The original has a larger tank capacity (a whopping 48 ounces in comparison to the mini’s 16-ounce tank) that might be a better fit for people who are tackling messes left and right throughout their home.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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While many consider the mammal a nuisance for raiding garbage cans and damaging property, raccoons can also carry diseases, and they probably shouldn't be kept as housepets.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Taco Bell is raiding its vault and bringing fans along for the re-exploration.—
Sonal Dutt,
PEOPLE,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Miss Sammie flashed the scolding look Jean had known since childhood, though playfully now.—
David Wright Faladé,
New Yorker,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Shipp is tasked with scolding her father and delivering leaden exposition.—
Esther Zuckerman,
IndieWire,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The pullback is now approaching both its flat 200-day moving average and a key support zone in the low-380s— a critical level that marked the breakout point in late July and the breakdown zone from March.—
Frank Cappelleri,
CNBC,
8 Oct. 2025
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Brown believes that, along with effort, ease and rest in relationships will become increasingly necessary when approaching love and choosing long-term partners, no matter gender.—
Essence,
Essence,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Israel-Hamas war began after Hamas terrorists launched a surprise attack on southern Israel, storming army bases, farming communities and an outdoor music festival, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, including women, children and older adults.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
8 Oct. 2025
-
The live stream opened with Chalamet sitting in what appeared to be a giant lottery ball blower, with ping-pong balls storming around him.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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General view of the Google headquarters in King’s Cross as the tech giant faces a 5 billion pound lawsuit in the UK for allegedly abusing its online search dominance.—
April Roach,Tasmin Lockwood,
CNBC,
10 Oct. 2025
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While the record doesn't detail the events of Max's arrest, TMZ reported that the actor was allegedly abusing nitrous oxide before allegedly attacking his mother while livestreaming.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Attacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attacking. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.
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