as in attacked
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 pounced (on or upon)
Verb
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In a message Monday on X, Sánchez said that so far there were no signs indicating that the plane was attacked by rebel groups that operate near Puerto Leguizamo.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
24 Mar. 2026 -
In the early 1980s, in the full flush of revolutionary ardor and against an age-old enemy who had attacked them without provocation, the Iranian people and armed forces fought and suffered for their country.—
Eliot A. Cohen,
The Atlantic,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Workers and passengers on the Chicago Transit Authority have been assaulted at rates at least double those of comparable public transit systems around the country, according to a Tribune analysis of federal data.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Mar. 2026
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Multiple women told The New York Times that Mexican American civil rights hero Cesar Chavez assaulted them decades ago, including when some were just girls, one as young as 13.—
Anne P. DePrince,
The Conversation,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Last September, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement raided a Korean battery plant in Georgia, dragging off 300 Korean technicians and engineers in handcuffs and chains, alleging visa violations.—
Lesley Stahl,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
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The saga began on August 21, 2022, when a group of Adams County, Ohio, Sheriff's Office deputies raided Foreman's Winchester, Ohio home, which is about 55 miles east of Cincinnati.—
Vanity Fair,
Vanity Fair,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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After walking a few blocks, the protest turned physical when a man in a brown jacket stormed into the crowd of teens.—
Liz Crawford,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
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The Warriors led by as many as nine in the second, but the Pistons stormed back and took a 57-50 advantage into halftime.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Two of the drones struck the refinery, the military said.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
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The military said missile fragments struck the edge of Jerusalem's Old City, home to sites sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Pounced (on or upon).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pounced%20%28on%20or%20upon%29. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.
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