1
as in to attack
to criticize harshly and usually publicly
the union organizers assailed the chemical company for failing to provide a safe working environment
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to assault
to take sudden, violent action against
the small birds assailed the larger one that had threatened their nest
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of assail
The first seven months of his second term went by without much focus on the issue until earlier this month, when a Department of Government Efficiency staffer was assailed by several juveniles.
—
Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 13 Aug. 2025
Our eyes are increasingly assailed by ultra-bright billboard ads, dazzling street lights, and glowing personal screens.
—Matt Fuchs, Time, 4 Aug. 2025
Populists in Europe and the United States assail the WTO for undercutting their manufacturing sectors.
—Stacie E. Goddard, Foreign Affairs, 28 July 2025
Pesticide producers assailed Carson’s credentials, her childlessness, and, more broadly, her gender.
—Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 27 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for assail
Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 13 Aug. 2025
Our eyes are increasingly assailed by ultra-bright billboard ads, dazzling street lights, and glowing personal screens.
—Matt Fuchs, Time, 4 Aug. 2025
Populists in Europe and the United States assail the WTO for undercutting their manufacturing sectors.
—Stacie E. Goddard, Foreign Affairs, 28 July 2025
Pesticide producers assailed Carson’s credentials, her childlessness, and, more broadly, her gender.
—Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 27 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for assail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for assail
Verb
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In a new warning, a senior Iranian army official said Tehran was ready to broaden its military reach beyond conventional strikes if attacked.—
Amira El-Fekki,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Taylor fills the bootstraps of Perfidia Beverly Hills, a formidable leader armed with a rifle fighting for the cause, her main prerogative is to overtake the institutions that imprison and attack vulnerable groups.—
Essence,
Essence,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In June 2024, her son was arrested on a warrant for assaulting the staff and brought to jail.—
ProPublica,
ProPublica,
22 Sep. 2025
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Among them were the assault of a 27-year CTA veteran who was punched and thrown onto the tracks, an elderly woman shoved off an MBTA bus, and a case in which a man used his belt to assault passengers, as noted in the Department of Transportation's news release.—
Sophia Compton,
FOXNews.com,
21 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But the Spirit pilots did not respond immediately, leading the testy air traffic controller to scold them repeatedly.—
Nate Anderson,
ArsTechnica,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Galligani, 55, remembers her mother as a perfectionist in the kitchen who would often scold her more free-spirited daughter for making a mess while cooking.—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The charges come after the FBI in June 2022 raided at least three churches associated with the House of Prayer Christian Churches in Georgia and Texas, established just miles from Fort Gordon, Fort Stewart and Fort Hood.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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Caracas on Saturday accused the US of raiding a Venezuelan fishing boat while in Venezuelan waters, underscoring the rising tensions in the region.—
Claire Cameron,
semafor.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Even the conservative editorial board of The Wall Street Journal slammed Carr's threats toward ABC over Kimmel's comments.—
Michael Collins,
USA Today,
20 Sep. 2025
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Demonstrators carried signs slamming Disney, ABC, the FCC and the TV station group owners who dealt the fatal blow to Kimmel by declaring that he would be preempted in heartland markets such as Nashville, New Orleans and Salt Lake City.—
Dan Doperalski,
Variety,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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An Israeli airstrike struck his home in the Al Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, where multiple generations had been living together, the doctor said.—
Caitlin Danaher,
CNN Money,
20 Sep. 2025
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Dorn then struck the mother in the face with an unknown blunt object and an Xbox game system, resulting in a facial fracture and severe swelling to her left eye, according to court documents.—
Wren Smetana,
AZCentral.com,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
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That argument ends when Steven is involved in a car crash moments after Taylor storms out of the car during the fight, but the effects of it linger throughout the season as the pair find their way back to one another.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
18 Sep. 2025
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During the October 7, 2023 attack, Hamas and several other militant groups stormed the Nova Music Festival and nearby communities in southern Israel, killed more than 1,200 people and took 251 others hostage.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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One of the shooting deaths included in ADL’s data involved the suspect robbing a fast-food restaurant and then stealing a getaway vehicle.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Sep. 2025
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Trout’s injuries over the last five seasons will likely rob him of the chance to reach some of baseball’s most important milestones.—
Sam Blum,
New York Times,
21 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Assail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assail. Accessed 23 Sep. 2025.
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