1
as in attacking
to criticize harshly and usually publicly
the union organizers assailed the chemical company for failing to provide a safe working environment
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in assaulting
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of assailing
Trump has singled out Moore for criticism, blaming him for a Potomac sewage spill, assailing his handing of Baltimore's bridge collapse and invoking a controversy over his military record.
—
Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 18 Feb. 2026
Horvath, 43, has been one of the mayor’s most outspoken critics over the past year, assailing her record on homelessness and last year’s Palisades fire, which destroyed thousands of homes and left 12 people dead.
—David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2026
In 1495 Columbus retaliated by assailing Taíno villages and capturing chiefs.
—Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 18 Feb. 2026
Horvath, 43, has been one of the mayor’s most outspoken critics over the past year, assailing her record on homelessness and last year’s Palisades fire, which destroyed thousands of homes and left 12 people dead.
—David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2026
In 1495 Columbus retaliated by assailing Taíno villages and capturing chiefs.
—Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for assailing
Verb
-
The adjective ‘brave’ should never be used in reference to a person attacking a dead person.—
Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Trump reacted by attacking Springsteen over his physical appearance and urging his MAGA fanbase to boycott the tour.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
According to Sadriu, officers learned that Cupe was allegedly assaulting a woman in the park when a bystander intervened in an effort to stop the assault.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The untitled film marks Majors’ first movie in four years after he was dropped from numerous projects when found guilty in 2023 of assaulting his former girlfriend.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The wing struck the roof of a home before slamming into an exterior wall of a second home next door.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The pair have been in physical altercations in the past, including Manning's 2012 arrest for allegedly punching, scratching, kicking and choking Hartman – whom media outlets have referred to as Manning's former make-up artist and assistant – and slamming her head against the floor and wall.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
There’s also talk of US forces raiding nuclear sites deep inside Iran to retrieve worrisome nuclear material, amid heightened fears that it could be used by an angry and desperate Iranian regime to manufacture nuclear weapons.—
Matthew Chance,
CNN Money,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Noem sent Bovino and his Border Patrol agents into Los Angeles last June, and viral social-media clips of agents raiding Home Depot parking lots soon followed.—
Nick Miroff,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Fungi aren’t literally storming areas like rain or hail, but storms act as the vehicle while the spores supply the threat.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Dweir said an argument between a resident of Suqaylabiyah and another from Qalaat al-Madiq led to scores of men from the Sunni town storming the area and attacking shops, homes and cars.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Assailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assailing. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
