as in assaults
the act or action of setting upon with force or violence
diplomats warned that any aggression by either side could easily turn into a full-scale war
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Recent Examples of aggressions
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
As servers delicately navigate around the women, serving plates of food that will never be touched, micro-aggressions are tossed, disguised as jokes.
—Literary Hub, 24 Feb. 2026
If and when such aggressions fully materialize, the United States will lack the moral and ethical authority to credibly object.
—Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
Her visits to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, which its nearest neighbors see as an homage to Japan’s past wartime aggressions, have also angered both of those nations.
—Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2025
The proceedings seem to be going fine until unexpected tensions and aggressions start to break out among the dancers.
—Samantha Allen, Them., 7 Oct. 2025
For Brasília, Beijing constitutes an indispensable strategic partner, but Washington, even after its recent aggressions, remains an irreplaceable global power.
—Hussein Kalout, Foreign Affairs, 2 Sep. 2025
Challenges are also proceeding against the other frenzied aggressions prompted by the fake immigration emergency, including a lawsuit by the ACLU over the creation of the Alligator Alcatraz facility.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Aug. 2025
Frank Landymore, Futurism, 12 Mar. 2026
As servers delicately navigate around the women, serving plates of food that will never be touched, micro-aggressions are tossed, disguised as jokes.
—Literary Hub, 24 Feb. 2026
If and when such aggressions fully materialize, the United States will lack the moral and ethical authority to credibly object.
—Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
Her visits to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, which its nearest neighbors see as an homage to Japan’s past wartime aggressions, have also angered both of those nations.
—Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2025
The proceedings seem to be going fine until unexpected tensions and aggressions start to break out among the dancers.
—Samantha Allen, Them., 7 Oct. 2025
For Brasília, Beijing constitutes an indispensable strategic partner, but Washington, even after its recent aggressions, remains an irreplaceable global power.
—Hussein Kalout, Foreign Affairs, 2 Sep. 2025
Challenges are also proceeding against the other frenzied aggressions prompted by the fake immigration emergency, including a lawsuit by the ACLU over the creation of the Alligator Alcatraz facility.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aggressions
Noun
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Washington reports only assaults involving a dangerous weapon.—
Stella Canino-Quinones,
Baltimore Sun,
3 Apr. 2026
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The detective said police believe all of the suspects who committed the in-person robberies and assaults in the Bay Area and California have been arrested.—
Megan Cassidy,
San Francisco Chronicle,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The White House budget proposes cutting funding for the federal agency created after the September 11, 2001 attacks by $52 million and would require small airports to enroll in a program in which TSA pays for private screeners.—
Reuters,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
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The attacks bring into sharp relief how some of the key selling points of crypto — decentralization from banks, the ease of transferring large sums, irreversible transactions — also double as its vulnerabilities.—
Megan Cassidy,
San Francisco Chronicle,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Israeli forces had launched raids into southern Lebanon for years, during the war against Hamas in Gaza, and then as the current Iran war began, but the operations have expanded significantly in recent weeks.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Widiyatmoko said a day before Lyons' arrest in Bali, police in Scotland and Spain carried out raids in connection with the case, with the help of Europol, a European Union law enforcement cooperation hub.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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When will these onslaughts of cold end?—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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But the forces being deployed are light infantry, units that lack the large armored vehicles, including tanks, that typically underpin sustained ground offensives.—
Chris Boccia,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
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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
Noun
-
His rise to becoming a second-team All-American coincided with Illinois’ rise to becoming one of the best offenses in the country.—
Colleen Kane,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
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Most people would agree that cheating and planning a school shooting are hardly equal offenses, and Borgli doesn't totally stick the landing by sweeping Emma's past impulses under the rug.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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An outcry five years ago Missouri’s history with Christian boarding schools is why the previous attempts to pass this kind of legislation failed to get any traction.—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
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The 6-foot-10 big man made his first six field-goal attempts and scored 11 points in his first eight minutes of floor time.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Aggressions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aggressions. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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