OFFENSIVES Synonyms: 59 Similar and Opposite Words

offensives

noun

plural of offensive

as in attacks

the act or action of setting upon with force or violence the primary offensive by the ground forces will commence at dawn tomorrow

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of offensives However, Iran analysts are highly skeptical that Tehran will prove capable of launching any such large-scale ground offensives any time soon. — Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026 Israel’s ongoing offensives have become a wedge issue for Jewish and non-Jewish Americans, leading to protests and raising antisemitism fears and questions about America’s close ties to Israel. — David Crary, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026 Countries are scrambling not to fall behind in AI — and French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are leading a personal charm offensives to court tech CEOs. — Kai Nicol-Schwarz,priyanka Salve, CNBC, 4 July 2026 Since the army broke the siege on el-Obeid last year, the RSF has launched multiple offensives in attempts to reestablish the siege from several directions. — ABC News, 24 June 2026 By targeting logistics hubs and resource stockpiles, Ukraine is attacking the systems that sustain Russian offensives. — Aidan Stretch, CBS News, 9 June 2026 The twin offensives are targeting Hamas and Hezbollah respectively, though critics argue that the operations are motivated at least in part by domestic politics — Israel is due to hold elections by October — and are amplifying troubling humanitarian situations in Gaza and Lebanon. — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 29 May 2026 In response, guerrilla groups of liberals and the left emerged, gathering thousands of people in rural areas and launching offensives against the army. — Roberto Andrés, The Dial, 28 May 2026 The Oilers won nine series in the last four years and represented the West in unsuccessful offensives against the Florida Panthers in each of the past two Junes. — Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 1 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for offensives

Noun

Zelenskyy said Ukrainian special forces struck the Kuibyshev oil refinery in Samara, southeast of Moscow, and another refinery in the neighboring Bashkortostan region in overnight attacks.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026
In the days after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, makeshift memorials started to appear around the perimeter of Ground Zero and at sites around the world associated with the United States.

— Hari Kunzru, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of attacks

Noun

Last year, immigration raids and tariffs hung over the celebration causing the event and mas bands to make adjustments.

— Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2026
Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O’Flaherty said on Tuesday he was concerned by the arrests, raids and online restrictions targeting LGBTQ+ civil society and human rights defenders.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of raids

Noun

Prosecutors charged Cesar Cardoso, 53, with 13 offenses, including two counts of lewd and lascivious molestation, which is punishable by up to life in prison.

— Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2026
Under the proposal, violations would be civil offenses with fines starting at $100.

— Cecilio Padilla, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of offenses

Noun

In fact, reported evidence suggests this software commitment (from a company making its revenue from hardware) has been crucial to Nvidia’s success in fending off onslaughts from other hardware vendors such as Intel.

— Nisha Talagala, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Ukraine has been largely helpless in similar Russian onslaughts in recent weeks.

— Tom Bowman, NPR, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of onslaughts

Noun

As quotas for immigration arrests increased that spring, he was asked to press felony charges for even minor aggressions against agents.

— Emily Witt, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
The United States deploys about 28,500 troops in South Korea as deterrence against potential aggressions from North Korea.

— ABC News, ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of aggressions

Noun

The strikes sparked fires in warehouse and production buildings.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Sep. 2026
The strikes were often most vicious in the far north of Yemen, a rebel stronghold and the region where the Houthi movement had been founded, in the nineteen-nineties.

— Kareem Fahim, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of strikes

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offensiveness

offensives

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“Offensives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offensives. Accessed 25 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of offensives

noun

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