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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Recent Examples of onslaught
This led to a massive onslaught of customers almost immediately.
—
Essence, 3 Sep. 2025
Have a Project One of the absolute joys of long-distance backpacking is silence, or an escape from the onslaught of incessant inputs that constitute modern life.
—Grayson Haver Currin, Outside, 2 Sep. 2025
In the face of this onslaught, the alcohol industry’s efforts to make drinking popular again have lurched into paranoia.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2025
On another level, the mere fact of calm, large-scale street activism amid the daily onslaught of a war that threatens Ukraine’s existence suggested how far the country’s democratic evolution has come.
—Nataliya Gumenyuk, Foreign Affairs, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for onslaught
Essence, 3 Sep. 2025
Have a Project One of the absolute joys of long-distance backpacking is silence, or an escape from the onslaught of incessant inputs that constitute modern life.
—Grayson Haver Currin, Outside, 2 Sep. 2025
In the face of this onslaught, the alcohol industry’s efforts to make drinking popular again have lurched into paranoia.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2025
On another level, the mere fact of calm, large-scale street activism amid the daily onslaught of a war that threatens Ukraine’s existence suggested how far the country’s democratic evolution has come.
—Nataliya Gumenyuk, Foreign Affairs, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for onslaught
Recent Examples of Synonyms for onslaught
Noun
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As aid groups say famine has already taken hold, the assault risks the lives of remaining hostages—captured by Hamas in its October 2023 attack—while Netanyahu faces mounting political turmoil at home, even as Washington continues to hold Hamas responsible for prolonging the conflict.—
Amira El-Fekki,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
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Even when put under lighter sanctions in 2018, during the Salisbury chemical attack, claims of election interference, and criminal cyber operations continued.—
Earl Carr,
Forbes.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Investigators later confirmed his DNA matched evidence from that case and others, including attacks in Okemos, Michigan, in 1994; Birmingham, Michigan, in 1995; and Columbus, Ohio, in 1997, as well as two assaults in Ventura in the early 1980s.—
Nour Rahal,
Freep.com,
6 Sep. 2025
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Though Smith was charged with four counts of assault for scaring and endangering the villagers, troopers did not say he was involved in his mother’s death.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In California’s strawberry fields, an ICE raid sparked widespread panic and disruption among farmworker communities.—
David Rodriguez Muñoz,
Freep.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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South Korean workers detained during a massive immigration raid in Georgia Thursday will be returned to South Korea on a chartered flight following negotiations, an official announced Sunday.—
Hanna Park,
CNN Money,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Ukraine's air force said Russia launched 142 drones into the country overnight into Monday morning, of which around 100 were Shahed strike drones and the rest decoy craft.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
8 Sep. 2025
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Not a strike of lightning from Heaven, but rather the perfect alignment of multiple moons, stars and galaxies.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Tens of thousands of reservists began to report for duty on Tuesday for a new Israeli offensive to seize Gaza City, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to accelerate despite warnings from senior ranks.—
Emily Rose,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
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Syria’s military lacked the will to defend its cities, and Damascus fell just 10 days after the offensive began.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
2 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Onslaught.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/onslaught. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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