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 With alarm bells ringing over potential Russian offensives — both digital and kinetic — in the coming months, vulnerable European nations must figure out if, and how, to respond. — Rafi Schwartz, TheWeek, 28 Sep. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for offensives

Noun

Asif said the Houthis had intensified missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia and expanded their control along Yemen's Red Sea coast.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 Sep. 2026
In the case of the Ratepayer Protection Act, Republicans were searching for an answer to Democratic attacks on data centers and the higher energy prices consumers fear will come from their construction.

— David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of attacks

Noun

The operations have led to the displacement of tens of thousands of Palestinians across the territory and military raids into Palestinian villages.

— Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2026
Government troops also conducted raids in various areas Thursday and killed 10 militants believed to be members of the Pakistani Taliban, the military and police said.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of raids

Noun

Another suspect in the 2023 attacks, Italian anti-fascist activist Ilaria Salis, was jailed in Hungary for over a year following the assaults, resulting in a diplomatic dispute between Rome and Budapest over her treatment in detention.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2026
Prosecutors used the Idaho assaults to prove a pattern of abuse, and put a life sentence on the table.

— Olivia Young, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of assaults

Noun

Last year, a Capital & Main investigation found that companies with violations in multiple counties across California were not fined for hundreds of those offenses — many involving worker safety.

— Robert J. Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
Brazilians will see two potent offenses at Maracana Stadium but one clearly better defense in Baltimore’s.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 24 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

Neibch, whose older brother Burke is the usual starter, was up to the task, completing 9 of 12 pass attempts for 93 yards and a touchdown.

— Mike McGraw, Chicago Tribune, 26 Sep. 2026
Hitschler’s secondary will be challenged by Washington, who led the conference in pass attempts last season with 473 and leads the Big Ten thus far with 116.

— Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of attempts

Noun

The strikes marked a sharp escalation in fighting between the two South Asian countries and risked further complicating international efforts to ease tensions between Islamabad and Kabul.

— MUNIR AHMED, Arkansas Online, 26 Sep. 2026
The Mets used an opener, left-hander Jefry Yan, and four pitchers behind him, more than one of whom had trouble throwing strikes.

— Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 26 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 2 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of offensives

noun

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