ONSLAUGHT Synonyms: 55 Similar and Opposite Words

onslaught

noun

ˈän-ˌslȯt

Definition of onslaught

as in attack

the act or action of setting upon with force or violence the massive onslaught of enemy troops caught the country by surprise

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Example Sentences

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 onslaught There are important conversations happening in these online spaces about which artists are shaping the pop landscape, or making decisions that stand out from the onslaught of releases. — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 19 Sep. 2026 Joseph started the onslaught by scoring on a 4-yard keeper on third-and-goal. — ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026 Meanwhile, Houthi rebels in Yemen, also supported by Tehran, have increased their onslaught against southern targets, seizing strategic islands in the Bab el-Mandeb waterway. — Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 15 Sep. 2026 Still, government safeguards lagged behind an onslaught of applications, and since the creation of the program, government watchdogs discovered that major screening tools were not in place until after the approval of hundreds of billions of dollars. — Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 14 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for onslaught

Recent Examples of Synonyms for onslaught

Noun

Avila said the attack left her with severe injuries to her arm and face, extensive scarring, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

— Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2026
His comments came days after the army chiefs of Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia met in Riyadh to discuss responses to Houthi attacks.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of attack

Noun

Fields was allegedly unhappy about Ezukanma playing better than him in practice before the assault, a TCU police officer wrote in his arrest warrant affidavit.

— Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Sep. 2026
Police did not immediately provide additional details about what led to the assault or Warren’s relationship to the three victims.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of assault

Noun

Rebel forces in the northern Ethiopian region of Tigray launched a major offensive against the government, ending a four-year ceasefire that had halted a gruesome conflict.

— Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 24 Sep. 2026
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed nearly 74,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and militants in its figures but says around half were women and children.

— Joseph Krauss, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of offensive

Noun

Where Olivia had given a voice to the voiceless on her podcast, Amina would soon be throwing herself in front of her fellow students to protect them from an ICE raid.

— Katie Campione, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2026
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

Definition of raid

Noun

Warren was booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail on suspicion of offenses related to assault with a deadly weapon, battery, child endangerment and resisting arrest, police said.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Tua Tagovailoa isn’t around to serve as a stabilizing presence for the Miami Dolphins offense.

— Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of offense

Noun

Large sections of chairs in the hall were empty as delegations filed out in protest of Iranian aggression.

— Robin Wright, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2026
These sensual glimmers are no match for the antagonistic sociality of straight male relationships, which, in this novel, quickly convert sympathy or desire into rivalry and aggression.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of aggression

Noun

Containment efforts have also been hamstrung by insecurity, displacement, a health workers' strike and intense population movements.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 29 Sep. 2026
Iran says the attack on the school involved two separate US Tomahawk missiles but neither the United States nor Israel has officially claimed responsibility for the strike.

— Anniek Bao, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of strike

Browse Nearby Words

onsets

onslaught

onslaughts

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“Onslaught.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/onslaught. Accessed 30 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of onslaught

noun

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