assaults 1 of 2

Definition of assaultsnext
plural of assault

assaults

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of assault

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 assaults
Noun
President Volodymyr Zelensky called the long-range strikes ‘entirely justified’ retaliation for Russian assaults on Kyiv, as Moscow reported intercepting more than 1,000 Ukrainian drones over its territory and occupied Crimea. Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2026 One woman who hid during the attack at a music festival described hearing multiple assaults, according to the report. Laura Trujillo, USA Today, 16 May 2026 Russia’s emphasis on frontline infantry comes as Russian military forces have mostly abandoned armored vehicle assaults in favor of advancing on foot, motorcycle, or even horseback in the face of Ukraine’s innovative drone warfare. Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 15 May 2026 Those assaults are under investigation. Wcco Staff, CBS News, 14 May 2026 Prosecutors have alleged Campbell, who lived in Rhode Island, routinely posed as a rideshare driver and sometimes a bar bouncer in Boston to prey on intoxicated women and film the assaults. Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 14 May 2026 The girl reported the assaults to her elementary school teacher while Dixon was incarcerated on unrelated charges, according to court records. Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 9 May 2026 Sawtelle said Coogler also has been punished while awaiting trial in jail for being involved in assaults on other inmates. Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 8 May 2026 The attacks, which have been claimed by Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), followed last month's heavy assaults on the government by the group and a Tuareg separatist group, the Azawad Liberation Front, or FLA. ABC News, 7 May 2026
Verb
Any passenger who assaults, threatens, intimidates or interferes with airline crew members can lead to penalties of up to $43,658 per violation, according to the FAA. Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 3 May 2026 Any person who assaults, threatens, intimidates, or interferes with airline crewmembers can face criminal charges and civil penalties costing up to $3,658 per violation, the statement read. Cbs New York Team, CBS News, 3 May 2026 The Pios’ culture assaults the senses the moment players step onto campus. Troy Renck, Denver Post, 13 Apr. 2026 The White House told ProPublica that anyone who assaults federal immigration agents would be prosecuted. Nicole Foy, ProPublica, 18 Oct. 2025 The Kid also physically assaults Apollonia at one point. Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 17 Oct. 2025 Continue reading … SKY SCUFFLE – Passenger allegedly assaults Alaska Airlines crew members, forces emergency landing at Boise Airport. FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for assaults
Noun
  • Meanwhile, 24 eateries, including a local cafe, received citations for health code violations such as brown residue in the ice machine, a lack of quaternary ammonia test strips and improperly cooled food.
    Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado May 15, Sacbee.com, 15 May 2026
  • Commercial and industrial customers face $500 penalties for a first offense and $1,500 for additional violations.
    Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 15 May 2026
Noun
  • At the most recent debate, hosted by NBC4 and Telemundo 52 on May 6, the seven candidates again clashed over housing and immigration, while Becerra and Steyer faced fierce attacks from both sides of the political spectrum, The Los Angeles Times reported.
    James Ward, USA Today, 15 May 2026
  • 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
Verb
  • Through these photos, Dominique Pelicot is not ‘just’ casting an incestuous gaze on me, as was said during the investigation and the Mazan rapes trial.
    TIME, Time, 7 Apr. 2026
  • And when her brother-in-law, Stanley (Marlon Brando), rapes her, her descent into madness was made all the more vivid and believable by Leigh's precise depiction of vulnerability and instability.
    Darren Franich, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • That figure has dwindled to around 3 percent as fewer candidates avail themselves of the money and Congress raids the fund for other things.
    Adam Lashinsky, Washington Post, 12 Apr. 2026
  • Some owls will hunt the wildlife that raids our garbage cans, like skunks and opossums.
    Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 13 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The Oilers won nine series in the last four years and represented the West in unsuccessful offensives against the Florida Panthers in each of the past two Junes.
    Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 1 May 2026
  • The army has retaken territory from ethnic militias, including the Three Brotherhood Alliance, which had launched powerful offensives along with pro-democracy resistance forces in northeastern Myanmar near the Chinese border and in western Myanmar.
    ABC News, ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The lawsuit argued that Georgia law mandates transparency in all aspects of the conduct of elections and the counting and recording of votes, and that Raffensperger's decision to exclude observers violates those statutes.
    CBS News Atlanta Digital Team, CBS News, 19 May 2026
  • The escalation began when Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier (R) issued a letter to the NFL earlier this year, alleging that its Rooney Rule violates Florida’s civil rights laws.
    Justin Klawans, TheWeek, 19 May 2026
Verb
  • The plot is based around a routine jury site visit that turns deadly when a mercenary kill team led by Hewitt (Adkins) storms the location in search of a secret ledger detailing citywide corruption.
    Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 13 May 2026
  • Blanche says on Monday that the noises correspond with the time the suspect allegedly storms the Secret Service security checkpoint on the floor above the ballroom.
    Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 28 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Russia appeared to be flexing its military muscle in a show of force with its latest aerial onslaughts on Ukraine.
    ABC News, ABC News, 13 May 2026
  • Wardley, 31, had never lost in 21 bouts before Saturday, and somehow withstood numerous onslaughts from Dubois (23-3) without ever touching the canvas in a remarkable display of courage.
    Chris McKenna, New York Times, 9 May 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Assaults.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assaults. Accessed 21 May. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on assaults

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster