sics

verb

variants also sicks
present tense third-person singular of sic
as in attacks
to take sudden, violent action against commanded the attack dogs to "sic 'em"

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sics
  1. attacks
  2. assaults
  3. raids
  4. storms
  5. robs
  6. strikes
  7. assails
Verb
  • She has been diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, an eye disease that causes vision loss, and lupus, a disease where the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissues and organs instead of fighting germs, according to court records.
    — Chase Jordan July 30, Charlotte Observer, 30 July 2026
  • The filmmaker has previously spoken about having myositis — a disease where the immune system attacks the muscles — which has significantly affected his mobility.
    — Rino Lu, IndieWire, 28 July 2026
Definition of attacks
Verb
  • Anyone who assaults law enforcement will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
    — Christina Fan, CBS News, 7 June 2026
  • 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
Definition of assaults
Verb
  • In the character's final scene, as the DEA raids her rural compound, Laurie ties a rope around her neck and jumps from the roof of her home.
    — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 1 June 2026
  • In the meantime, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) finally raids Laurie's property, thanks to the intel Rue had been giving them.
    — Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 1 June 2026
Definition of raids
Verb
  • Mars storms the Official Streaming chart with five titles, while one of his most successful collaborations becomes a bestseller again on multiple rosters.
    — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
  • Although significant, that event was far less powerful than the Carrington Event — or the even rarer storms the new study suggests may be possible.
    — Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of storms
Verb
  • Parkinson’s is a neurologic disease that robs people of control over their movements.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 28 July 2026
  • Blending in is the name of a dire game that robs us of what ought to be our value to others and ourselves.
    — Colin Fleming, New York Daily News, 4 July 2026
Definition of robs
Verb
  • John Waters strikes a pose at the 2026 Mosswood Meltdown in Oakland, California on July 19.
    — Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 21 July 2026
  • The series of intimate dispatches was widely credited for its courage and also for raising awareness of the disease, which strikes men far less often than women.
    — Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 July 2026
Definition of strikes
Verb
  • The war in Gaza has become a dividing line between the two candidates, both of whom are Jewish, as Lander assails Goldman for not being tough enough on Israel over its military action against Palestinians.
    — Anthony Izaguirre, Fortune, 23 June 2026
  • As an example, Vance called out an essay in The Nation that assails Kirk’s views on women, homosexuality, and affirmative action.
    — Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 20 Sep. 2025
Definition of assails
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.

Browse Nearby Words

sickrooms
sics
side
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sics.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sics. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of élan

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All