as in to assault
to take sudden, violent action against
the muggers pounced on the unsuspecting tourists as soon as they rounded the corner
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pounce (on or upon)
Verb
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One of them resisted arrest and assaulted a local officer, DHS said.—
Ricky Sayer,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026 -
According to the lawsuit, Cowser, who was 17 at the time, was with her friends at the Food 4 Less, located at Rialto Avenue and North E Street in San Bernardino, when a group of teens began assaulting other young people inside.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The woman told officers that at some point, Morehead came back and brutally attacked her, including punching her in the face and stomach and dragging her back inside.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
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Two minutes later, Towns attacked Onyeka Okongwu off the dribble for a dunk.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The company had its offices raided and several bank accounts frozen, according to Malaysian business publication The Edge.—
Angelica Ang,
Fortune,
9 Apr. 2026
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Separately, police in Moscow raided the offices of the prominent independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, whose chief editor Dmitry Muratov was a Nobel Peace Prize laureate in 2021.—
Dasha Litvinova,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Islamic Republic of Iran took the lives of two men convicted of trying to storm a military facility and access an armory in January, the Mizan news outlet of Iran's judiciary indicated on Sunday, according to Reuters.—
Alex Nitzberg,
FOXNews.com,
6 Apr. 2026
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Two hours later, Hans stormed out of the gaming hall and raced past the Chess Hall of Fame.—
Ben Mezrich,
Vanity Fair,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The snake can easily strike through the bag.—
Dr. C. E. Kuschel,
Outdoor Life,
9 Apr. 2026
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During that call, the defendant made no reference to having struck his wife in self-defense, deputy prosecutor Joel Garner said.—
Jennifer Sinco Kelleher,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Pounce (on or upon).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pounce%20%28on%20or%20upon%29. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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