ASSAULTS Synonyms: 124 Similar and Opposite Words

assaults 1 of 2

noun

plural of assault

as in violations

the act of forcing a person to engage in sexual activity and especially intercourse attended a class teaching women self-defense against assault

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as in attacks

the act or action of setting upon with force or violence was arrested for his assault of the bystander

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assaults

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of assault

as in rapes

to engage in sexual activity and especially intercourse with a person unwilling or unable to give consent was registered as a sex offender after assaulting the victim

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in raids

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

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 assaults

Noun

Over the same period, CATS reported 10 assaults, or less than four per every 10 million passenger trips, on the light rail, data CATS submitted to the federal government shows. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 7 Oct. 2026 Moscow and Kyiv have intensified their aerial assaults as progress along the 750-mile front line has largely ground to a halt. — Hanna Arhirova, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026 Instead, researchers found homelessness decreased modestly in 2026, and although assaults and robberies have been elevated compared with the early 2010s, more than 70% of the incidents occur in 5% of the city’s area. — Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026 Both Moscow and Kyiv have intensified their aerial assaults as progress along the 1,200-kilometer (750-mile) front line has largely ground to a halt. — ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026 Russian assaults since Thursday have forced the full or partial closure of three of Kyiv’s six road bridges, suspending traffic and causing tailbacks in Moscow’s latest effort to disrupt life in the Ukrainian capital. — Susie Blann, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026 Prosecutors used the Idaho assaults to prove a pattern of abuse, and put a life sentence on the table. — Olivia Young, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026 Felony assaults in the park are down 15%, with only 12 compared to 14 in 2025. — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 18 Sep. 2026 Research published in Nurse Leader shows assaults on nursing personnel rose from just over 14,000 in 2019 to nearly 24,000 in 2023. — Jason Fass, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026

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 The Pios’ culture assaults the senses the moment players step onto campus. — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 13 Apr. 2026 The White House told ProPublica that anyone who assaults federal immigration agents would be prosecuted. — Nicole Foy, ProPublica, 18 Oct. 2025 The Kid also physically assaults Apollonia at one point. — Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 17 Oct. 2025 Continue reading … SKY SCUFFLE – Passenger allegedly assaults Alaska Airlines crew members, forces emergency landing at Boise Airport. — FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for assaults

Noun

All violations would carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.

— Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2026
When Newt Gingrich lost support because of ethics violations and the GOP's poor showing in an election, Republicans elected Hastert to succeed him.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of violations

Noun

In Congo, where the outbreak has spread to seven provinces, responders have faced attacks on health teams, misinformation about the virus, a failure by locals to report symptoms and rebel violence that has limited access to treatment centers.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026
The question also raised the recent spread of controversies over individual films into attacks on cast and crew and campaigns to halt screenings.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of attacks

Verb

In that film’s story, Insiang (Hilda Koronel) metes out revenge against Dado (Ruel Vernal), her hateful mother’s lover, who rapes her after rejecting his advances.

— Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 10 July 2026
Through these photos, Dominique Pelicot is not ‘just’ casting an incestuous gaze on me, as was said during the investigation and the Mazan rapes trial.

— TIME, Time, 7 Apr. 2026

Definition of rapes

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

Noun

However, further Houthi offensives have met stiffer resistance from the recuperated forces of the Presidential Leadership Council, depriving the group of another quick victory.

— Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2026
With alarm bells ringing over potential Russian offensives — both digital and kinetic — in the coming months, vulnerable European nations must figure out if, and how, to respond.

— Rafi Schwartz, TheWeek, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of offensives

Verb

The court recognized that an employer’s authority to terminate an at-will employee can be limited when a discharge violates fundamental public policy.

— William Jones, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026
The groups argued that the agency’s move violates its obligations under the Clean Air Act.

— Maydeen Merino, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of violates

Verb

Moments later, MacKinney storms in, kills one of Colum’s guards, and orders his men to round up the castle’s women and sequester them in the chapel.

— Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026
Like magic, upon the proclamation, arm lift, and beat drop, pouring rain storms down upon the audience.

— Miki Hellerbach, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of storms

Noun

In fact, reported evidence suggests this software commitment (from a company making its revenue from hardware) has been crucial to Nvidia’s success in fending off onslaughts from other hardware vendors such as Intel.

— Nisha Talagala, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Ukraine has been largely helpless in similar Russian onslaughts in recent weeks.

— Tom Bowman, NPR, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of onslaughts

Cite this Entry

Style

“Assaults.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assaults. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of assaults

noun

verb

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