assault 1 of 2

assault

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb assault contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of assault are assail, attack, bombard, and storm. While all these words mean "to make an onslaught upon," assault suggests a direct attempt to overpower by suddenness and violence of onslaught.

commandos assaulted the building from all sides

When could assail be used to replace assault?

While the synonyms assail and assault are close in meaning, assail implies attempting to break down resistance by repeated blows or shots.

assailed the enemy with artillery fire

When is it sensible to use attack instead of assault?

Although the words attack and assault have much in common, attack implies taking the initiative in a struggle.

plan to attack the town at dawn

When would bombard be a good substitute for assault?

The words bombard and assault are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, bombard applies to attacking with bombs or shells.

bombarded the city nightly

When is storm a more appropriate choice than assault?

The words storm and assault can be used in similar contexts, but storm implies attempting to break into a defended position.

preparing to storm the fortress

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
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 Ada County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a man suspected of assaulting women while riding an electric dirt bike, the department said in a Facebook post Tuesday. Sarah Cutler updated July 16, Idaho Statesman, 16 July 2025 One of the neighbors is too afraid to keep pushing with this because one of the men assaulted her father. For The Carroll County Times, Baltimore Sun, 15 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for assault
Recent Examples of Synonyms for assault
Noun
  • The restaurant was a favorite hangout of the Gilbert Goons and the site of seven parking lot attacks, according to beating videos, interviews and police records.
    Perry Vandell, AZCentral.com, 24 July 2025
  • Walmart provided security footage that reportedly confirms both the attack and the theft.
    Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 23 July 2025
Noun
  • The flimsy pretense for the raid was that some NABU officers had been involved in traffic accidents and violations.
    Steve Cortes, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 July 2025
  • When an agent malfunctions in a production environment, the potential consequences include operational disruptions, security breaches, compliance violations and reputational damage.
    Olga Megorskaya, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025
Verb
  • An administrative review over whether the deputies violated department policies is also ongoing, Waters said.
    Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 23 July 2025
  • Then, in November 2023, a mistrial was declared in a federal trial over whether Hankison violated the civil rights of Taylor, her boyfriend and neighbors after the jury could not come to a decision.
    Josh Wood, The Courier-Journal, 23 July 2025
Verb
  • Federal agents raided four Colt Grill restaurant locations in Yavapai County and one in Foley, Alabama.
    Daniel Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 19 July 2025
  • Doyle and Dixon's homes have also been raided, WBRZ reported.
    Kerry Breen July 16, CBS News, 16 July 2025
Noun
  • An onslaught of aerial/high-rise scenes that even Pink would find excessive?
    Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 19 July 2025
  • Topline More than half of Americans disapprove of President Donald Trump’s handling of the federal government’s documents detailing its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, according to a new poll that comes as Trump is facing an onslaught of backlash from his base over the issue.
    Sara Dorn, Forbes.com, 17 July 2025
Noun
  • The show begins in 1989 when five Black and Latino teenagers are wrongfully accused of rape in the Central Park Jogger case.
    Sara Netzley, EW.com, 13 July 2025
  • Corrections officials say two Arkansas prison employees errantly helped Grant Hardin, the former police chief convicted of murder and rape, escape from a prison in May.
    Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 13 July 2025
Verb
  • Blurry Vision High sugar levels force the body to pull fluid from your tissues, including the lenses of your eyes.
    Barbie Cervoni, Verywell Health, 15 July 2025
  • These high taxes explain why Tesla was forced to set its prices so high in India, despite the country’s preference for EVs at much lower price ranges.
    Dylan Butts, CNBC, 15 July 2025
Verb
  • In that way, camp couldn’t be more different than a year ago, before the Broncos stormed to a 10-7 mark and a playoff appearance and nearly doubled the general range of wins that bookmakers pegged them for.
    Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 22 July 2025
  • The relative said female family members who survived the massacre recalled how militants had stormed the family’s multi-story home early in the morning, prompting the residents to fight back in defense.
    Sarah Dewberry, CNN Money, 22 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Assault.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assault. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

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