1
as in attack
the act or action of setting upon with force or violence
was arrested for his assault of the bystander
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in violation
the act of forcing a person to engage in sexual activity and especially intercourse
attended a class teaching women self-defense against assault
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to attack
to take sudden, violent action against
was found guilty of assaulting an officer enemy forces assaulted the city
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 assault
Anthony Bettin, CBS News, 18 May 2026
Two additional officers went to the rear of the residence and observed signs of a violent assault.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 18 May 2026
Chloee Weiner, NPR, 15 May 2026
Ames and Hull both admitted to discarding the baton suspected to have been used for assaulting Kayla, the statements alleged.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for assault
Noun
The agents were placed on leave for the lie, and federal assault charges against Sosa-Celis and the other man were dropped.
—Anthony Bettin, CBS News, 18 May 2026
Two additional officers went to the rear of the residence and observed signs of a violent assault.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 18 May 2026
Verb
Accusations against the former Hollywood mogul came to define the #MeToo movement, and he was first convicted of assaulting Jessica Mann in 2020.
—Chloee Weiner, NPR, 15 May 2026
Ames and Hull both admitted to discarding the baton suspected to have been used for assaulting Kayla, the statements alleged.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for assault
Recent Examples of Synonyms for assault
Noun
-
As the United States has escalated its attacks on Iran, there’s something pleasingly transgressive about bringing Iranian elements into such overtly Western music—so much so that the songs without Yaghmai’s playing seem a little subdued in comparison.—
Molly Mary O’Brien,
Pitchfork,
15 May 2026
-
This one way attack drone is aimed at delivering affordable mass capabilities and is engineered for adaptability, and autonomous operations.—
Aditya Jadhav,
Interesting Engineering,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Kapoor, who had moved from Atlanta to Miami to attend college, faces 10 years or more in prison on the money-laundering and payroll-tax violations.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
14 May 2026
-
In 2020, longtime TCC instructor and program director Jeff McDonald sued the college for breach of contract, constitutional violations and deprivation of property interests without due process.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Fish arcades are increasingly rare in Charlotte since the Supreme Court’s ruling shut many down, but police have raided locations operating illegally in recent years.—
Jeff A. Chamer
May 15,
Charlotte Observer,
15 May 2026
-
With such a dominating presence in the first three seasons of the PWHL, the Frost brass expects their roster to be raided.—
Theodore Tollefson,
Twin Cities,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Over the past three weeks, the collapse of the once-tight bond between two of the most prominent names in AI has been the subject of a high-profile trial in Oakland, California, after Musk sued Altman and OpenAI in 2024 for allegedly violating their commitment to keep OpenAI as a nonprofit.—
Ashley Capoot,Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
-
For now, Carl still looks like an ethical saint compared to Duncan, who remains committed to violating privacy laws with such brazenness that even the federal government would be moved to pass enforceable regulations against him.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
After the shutdown, Jeffries remained on the offensive.—
Jason Zengerle,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
When Aleppo fell in late November, in part due to that tunnel operation that cut off the regime's supply lines, the rebel groups made a split-second decision to continue the offensive.—
Emily Feng,
NPR,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
The Married at First Sight franchise has been left reeling by allegations of rape from a group of ex-contestants in a new BBC Panorama investigation.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
19 May 2026
-
The series will include guests such as Gisèle Pelicot, the French woman who waived her right to anonymity in one of the most horrifying rape cases in history to stand in solidarity with fellow victims.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Manzo was 21 when gunmen stormed an Uruapan nightclub not far from his mother’s dress shop and rolled five human heads onto the dance floor.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
-
Continue reading … IN OTHER NEWS MOB CHAOS — Soccer fans storm field in 22 minutes flat, forcing players to flee for their lives.—
,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
The economic loss could rise to as much as 100 trillion won if chip production disruptions force Samsung to scrap semiconductor wafers already in production.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
-
The fire destroyed two structures — a cabin and an equipment shed — and forced the evacuation of 11 National Park Service employees, who were rescued by a Santa Barbara County Fire Department helicopter.—
Jack Flemming,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Assault.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assault. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
