1
as in rape
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
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2
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in to attack
to take sudden, violent action against
was found guilty of assaulting an officer enemy forces assaulted the city
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of assault
Jeanna Smialek, BostonGlobe.com, 30 Jan. 2023
Within days of his assault on White, Seneca allegedly attempted to kidnap a different man and allegedly kidnapped another, the Justice Department said in a previous statement.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC News, 26 Jan. 2023
Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 24 Feb. 2025
According to French outlet Le Monde, the suspect has been accused of assaulting 299 children between 1989 and 2014.
—Becca Longmire, People.com, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for assault
Noun
That is why the Fed is taking a cautious stance and trying to avoid pulling back prematurely from its assault on inflation.
—Jeanna Smialek, BostonGlobe.com, 30 Jan. 2023
Within days of his assault on White, Seneca allegedly attempted to kidnap a different man and allegedly kidnapped another, the Justice Department said in a previous statement.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC News, 26 Jan. 2023
Verb
He was sentenced in February 2020 but then also assaulted a inmate while in prison, the news release said.
—Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 24 Feb. 2025
According to French outlet Le Monde, the suspect has been accused of assaulting 299 children between 1989 and 2014.
—Becca Longmire, People.com, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for assault
Recent Examples of Synonyms for assault
Noun
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Several celebrities have opened up about their experiences with Diddy, specifically his parties, since the Bad Boy co-founder was accused of rape, assault, and more.—
Armon Sadler,
VIBE.com,
6 Mar. 2025
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As part of a separate investigation, the Tate brothers are wanted by police in the U.K. over allegations of rape, human trafficking and tax evasion.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
5 Mar. 2025
Noun
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According to the Lee County Sheriff's Office, about 5:15 p.m. Monday, deputies responded to the area's Valley community for a report of a dog attack.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA TODAY,
1 Mar. 2025
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But in light of ongoing attacks against PayPal accounts using emails sent from genuine PayPal addresses, how will this help protect you from hackers and scammers?—
Davey Winder,
Forbes,
1 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Social-media companies that violate the law could face penalties up to $50,000 per violation.—
Dara Kam,
Orlando Sentinel,
1 Mar. 2025
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The hearing stemmed from a defense motion to suppress the investigative genetic genealogy evidence, as the defense argued the testing violated Kohberger’s constitutional rights and its results should be thrown out.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN,
1 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Earlier this week, the U.N. humanitarian affairs coordination office (OCHA) reported that armed men had raided at least two hospitals in North Kivu’s capital Goma, abducting dozens of patients.—
Paul Tilsley,
Fox News,
9 Mar. 2025
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Gregorios Bishara, priest of the Church of Our Lady of the Annunciation, was martyred this morning at the hands of the pro-HTS armed factions that raided the city of Baniyas.—
William Lambers,
Newsweek,
8 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Poppy Alexander, a partner at Whistleblower Partners who represents whistleblowers reporting corporate FCPA violations, echoes this thinking.—
Kristen Edgreen Kaufman,
Forbes,
3 Mar. 2025
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The violations for each of the officers included standard of conduct violations, death investigation procedure violations and report preparation violations.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
People.com,
3 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The source of the misunderstanding appears to be a map in the 2025 Old Farmer’s Almanac that incorrectly states that Maryland can expect an onslaught of Brood XIV (14) cicadas this year.—
Mary Carole McCauley,
Baltimore Sun,
10 Mar. 2025
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Gascón, the first openly trans actor to be nominated for an Academy Award, faced an onslaught of backlash after old social media posts about George Floyd and Islam came to light.—
Tracy Wright,
Fox News,
9 Mar. 2025
Verb
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However, much to her dismay, she was then forced to treat Damien amid the chaos at the hospital as the heat dome in Seattle continued.—
Stephanie Wenger,
People.com,
7 Mar. 2025
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Tracking the Trump administration’s rollback of climate and environmental policies can seem like being forced through a wormhole back in time.—
Zoë Schlanger,
The Atlantic,
7 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Four men, including Huttle, with Northwest Indiana ties were among the more than 1,500 people pardoned by Trump last week for storming the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Feb. 2025
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The awards show went on against the odds but there was further drama on the night when actress Adèle Haenel and director Céline Sciamma stormed out of the auditorium in protest at the Best Director win for Polanski.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
28 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Assault.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assault. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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