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
Relevance
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
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
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
Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY, 19 Mar. 2025
Listen to this article What should be a joyous day celebrating Irish heritage in Southie yet again devolved into chaos at times, as police made numerous arrests and were allegedly assaulted by underage drinkers.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 17 Mar. 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
The actress accompanied Majors to court in 2023 after he was charged with assaulting his former girlfriend, Grace Jabbari, during a car ride in New York.
—Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY, 19 Mar. 2025
Listen to this article What should be a joyous day celebrating Irish heritage in Southie yet again devolved into chaos at times, as police made numerous arrests and were allegedly assaulted by underage drinkers.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for assault
Recent Examples of Synonyms for assault
Noun
-
Death row inmate Jessie Hoffman was convicted of the brutal rape and murder of 28-year-old Molly Elliott in 1996.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA TODAY,
19 Mar. 2025
-
Rodger Brown, from Pinehurst, was identified as the suspect in the 1979 rape and murder of Kathryn Donohue who was 31-years-old at the time, Prince George’s County police in Maryland said in a March 18 news release.—
Natalie Demaree,
Charlotte Observer,
18 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The attack starts with hackers uploading what looks like a harmless extension to the Chrome Web Store.—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
Fox News,
13 Mar. 2025
-
Many of the attacks on Tesla cars and dealerships are allegedly in protest of Elon Musk‘s efforts to cut waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government through pressure from the Department of Government Efficiency.—
Heather Hunter,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
13 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Without a life rights agreement, storytellers will need to take greater care that nothing in the work defames the subject or violates their privacy, among other things.—
Legal Entertainment,
Forbes,
13 Mar. 2025
-
The order violates core constitutional rights, including the rights to free speech and due process.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
Newsweek,
13 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
After raiding the crown jewels for just about every live-action reboot imaginable, Disney has finally gotten around to the one that started it all, the 1937 classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
19 Mar. 2025
-
Police allegedly seize over 17 pound of cannabis while executing a search warrant at a Norwalk smoke shop that has been raided three times.—
Staff report,
Hartford Courant,
19 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Israeli military operations inside Gaza have continued since the ceasefire began – in response, the IDF has said, to threats to its troops or Hamas violations, but there has been a decline in casualties.—
Billy Stockwell,
CNN,
15 Mar. 2025
-
Kalkbrenner hit a jump hook and the Huskies turned the ball over on a shot clock violation as Creighton came out of the break on a 9-3 run, its lead swelling to 17 points.—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
15 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
And the recent onslaught of free-agent additions could just be the start of building up a unit that struggled mightily last season.—
Mike Kaye,
Charlotte Observer,
17 Mar. 2025
-
Southwest is already preparing its employees for an onslaught of customer luggage at the gate.—
Leslie Josephs,
CNBC,
15 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
This year, the universe seems to have similar plans, with the L.A. wildfires forcing her to slow down again.—
Meagan Jordan,
Rolling Stone,
19 Mar. 2025
-
But despite its soaring fortunes, the $4 billion company continues to resist having to pay detainees more than $1 a day for cleaning facilities where the government has forced them to live.—
McKenzie Funk,
ProPublica,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
All passengers were asked to remain seated, but Augustin allegedly stormed to the front of the plane while holding onto his sister.—
Pilar Arias,
Fox News,
12 Mar. 2025
-
In just his second year, using the transfer portal as well as anyone to accelerate the rebuild, Pitino’s Johnnies stormed through the Big East, matching UConn’s record for wins in the conference (18) which was set during the Huskies’ historically dominant 2023-24 season.—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
12 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Assault.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assault. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share