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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Recent Examples of offensives
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
The army has retaken territory from ethnic militias, including the Three Brotherhood Alliance, which had launched powerful offensives along with pro-democracy resistance forces in northeastern Myanmar near the Chinese border and in western Myanmar.
—ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026
Putin is widely expected to launch new offensives as the weather in Ukraine improves, piling further pressure on Kyiv.
—Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
From these footholds, Indonesian special forces organized and launched offensives against Fretilin to force its retreat.
—Agathe Demarolle, Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Mar. 2026
Nation-states now pair kinetic strikes with digital offensives.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 1 Mar. 2026
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
The army has retaken territory from ethnic militias, including the Three Brotherhood Alliance, which had launched powerful offensives along with pro-democracy resistance forces in northeastern Myanmar near the Chinese border and in western Myanmar.
—ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026
Putin is widely expected to launch new offensives as the weather in Ukraine improves, piling further pressure on Kyiv.
—Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
From these footholds, Indonesian special forces organized and launched offensives against Fretilin to force its retreat.
—Agathe Demarolle, Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Mar. 2026
Nation-states now pair kinetic strikes with digital offensives.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 1 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for offensives
Noun
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Teams are targeting the champions down their right side, channelling more of their attacks onto that flank.—
Liam Tharme,
New York Times,
12 Dec. 2025
-
November saw the highest number of attacks yet in a single month, according to data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED) project, and CNN’s analysis.—
Vasco Cotovio,
CNN Money,
11 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Masked federal officers have conducted nighttime raids, terrorizing entire neighborhoods and taking people without warrants.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Dec. 2025
-
Trump has sent troops to multiple cities across the country, including the deployment of thousands of National Guard members and hundreds of Marines to Los Angeles over the summer after protests broke out in the city over immigration raids.—
Solcyré Burga,
Time,
9 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street announced Tuesday that the 2026 Downtown Days festival will be its last, citing safety concerns after fights, assaults and property damage marred Saturday evening’s event.—
Ian Cummings,
Kansas City Star,
11 June 2026
-
The column urges other scientific bodies to see this episode as a warning that neutrality in the face of organized assaults on science is itself a political choice that risks long‑term damage to research and public health.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
For those who had been convicted in the past, the data doesn't distinguish between minor offenses and violent crimes.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
8 Dec. 2025
-
Most commitments are for violent offenses, and some youth re-offend for the same charges, but deciding what the proper treatment and long-term placement is a case-by-case decision, Kim said.—
Kamal Morgan,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Vita Coco’s dominant position has so far been unassailable despite onslaughts from beverage giants Coca-Cola and PepsiCo.—
Zinnia Lee,
Forbes.com,
5 Sep. 2025
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And will the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and the Islamic theocracy survive politically after the military onslaughts?—
Robin Wright,
New Yorker,
23 June 2025
Noun
-
The sharp comedy follows their meetings over the course of the school year, revealing the micro-aggressions, class distinctions, and prejudices of the council members, which Spector addresses with clever, amusing insight.—
Mary Damiano,
Miami Herald,
27 May 2026
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Oil prices have surged since February 28, when the US and Israel opened aggressions by assassinating Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei in a series of missile strikes that also killed the commander of the IRGC, the minister of defense, and other top brass.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Tortorella’s other attempts to jump-start the top line, such as moving Mitch Marner and Mark Stone up beside Eichel at different points, didn’t work either.—
Jesse Granger,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
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Plum shot three for 10, tied for her fewest attempts in a game this season.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
Trump’s birthday began with a new round of Israeli military strikes in Beirut, which the country said was in response to projectiles fired by the militant group Hezbollah at Israel.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
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Entanglement and vessel strikes are the leading causes of death for the whales.—
Neal Riley,
CBS News,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Offensives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offensives. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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