as in attacks
the act or action of setting upon with force or violence
the primary offensive by the ground forces will commence at dawn tomorrow
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Recent Examples of offensives
The report said Russian forces have advanced at an average rate of between 49 to 230 feet per day in their most prominent offensives.
—
Arkansas Online, 29 Jan. 2026
The report said Russian forces have advanced at an average rate of between 49 to 230 feet per day in their most prominent offensives.
—Kamila Hrabchuk, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Higher-level Russian headquarters interpret this footage as evidence that territory has been captured and therefore do not order further offensives.
—Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Decades of military offensives, however, have considerably weakened Abu Sayyaf and other such armed groups, and Philippine military and police officials say there has been no recent indication of any foreign militants in the country's south.
—Bradford Betz, FOXNews.com, 16 Dec. 2025
Russian forces are intensifying offensives in Donetsk, expanding long-range strikes on cities and energy infrastructure, and pressing for territorial concessions.
—Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
Troops once used stands of trees or other natural barriers to defend themselves against small offensives.
—Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 11 Nov. 2025
Israel’s offensives outside Gaza were even more popular.
—Aluf Benn, Foreign Affairs, 10 Nov. 2025
There’s something rare about Swain, who is a young brainiac, but one who has built his business the old-fashioned, pre-quant-trading and Excel models Wall Street way, via charm offensives that weave webs of tight relationships few rivals can match.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 1 Nov. 2025
Arkansas Online, 29 Jan. 2026
The report said Russian forces have advanced at an average rate of between 49 to 230 feet per day in their most prominent offensives.
—Kamila Hrabchuk, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Higher-level Russian headquarters interpret this footage as evidence that territory has been captured and therefore do not order further offensives.
—Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Decades of military offensives, however, have considerably weakened Abu Sayyaf and other such armed groups, and Philippine military and police officials say there has been no recent indication of any foreign militants in the country's south.
—Bradford Betz, FOXNews.com, 16 Dec. 2025
Russian forces are intensifying offensives in Donetsk, expanding long-range strikes on cities and energy infrastructure, and pressing for territorial concessions.
—Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
Troops once used stands of trees or other natural barriers to defend themselves against small offensives.
—Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 11 Nov. 2025
Israel’s offensives outside Gaza were even more popular.
—Aluf Benn, Foreign Affairs, 10 Nov. 2025
There’s something rare about Swain, who is a young brainiac, but one who has built his business the old-fashioned, pre-quant-trading and Excel models Wall Street way, via charm offensives that weave webs of tight relationships few rivals can match.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 1 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for offensives
Noun
-
Militants have carried out shooting attacks on troops, and Israel says its strikes are in response to that and other violations.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The administration’s attacks on Lemon and independent journalists have boosted their online attention and revenue.—
Drew Harwell,
Washington Post,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Charges against 17 people arrested during demonstrations against Operation Midway Blitz immigration raids around Chicagoland last year have been dismissed as prosecutorial accusations have faded.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Israeli settler violence and settlement expansion has grown, and daily Palestinian life has been choked by movement restrictions and military raids.—
Daniel Estrin,
NPR,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Instead, Jackson blamed anti-ICE rhetoric for a sharp increase in assaults on immigration officers, a claim frequently cited by the administration, despite previous reporting showing such a rise is not backed by public records.—
Juliana Kim,
NPR,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Russian forces have consequently lost command-and-control capabilities and navigation for drones, and assaults have stopped in many sectors, according to Fedorov's adviser Serhii Beskrestnov.—
DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFF FROM WIRE REPORTS,
Arkansas Online,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Of the more than 70,000 people currently in immigration detention facilities, only about 25% of them have any kind of criminal conviction, which can include traffic violations and other minor offenses, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, which tracks detention data.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
7 Feb. 2026
-
This is our standard disposition for first-time prostitution offenses.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
When will these onslaughts of cold end?—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
If and when such aggressions fully materialize, the United States will lack the moral and ethical authority to credibly object.—
Chicago Tribune,
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
Noun
-
Salah, who had five attempts, has failed to score in his last seven league appearances.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Minnesota made just eight of 33 three-point attempts and committed 20 turnovers while being held under 100 points for just the second time this season.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
When there is no global response, the strikes become more frequent and increasingly brutal.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
8 Feb. 2026
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The consequences of Russian strikes are aggravated in many urban areas by reliance on centralized heating systems, a legacy of the Soviet era.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Offensives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offensives. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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