1
as in assaulting
to take sudden, violent action against
our dog unexpectedly attacked the mailman, sinking his teeth into the startled man's leg
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in slamming
to criticize harshly and usually publicly
the mayor and all his aides were attacked mercilessly in the press when the scandal erupted
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in tackling
to start work on energetically
Courtney attacked the huge mess in her room with determination and enthusiasm
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of attacking
Winger Xavi Simons’ anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) knee injury will keep him out for some time, with striker Dominic Solanke also pulling up — albeit his ailment appears less serious — at Molineux to cast doubt over Spurs’ attacking firepower in the upcoming weeks.
—
Mark Carey, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
He was also found guilty of two counts of assault for attacking two other men with butcher knives.
—Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026
Alerts spark panicked flights The latest war erupted on March 2, when, after holding its fire since a 2024 truce, Hezbollah launched a surprise barrage of missiles into northern Israel in retaliation for the United States and Israel attacking Iran.
—Isabel Debre, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Moscow has also accused NATO nations of allowing their airspace to be used by Ukrainian drones attacking Russian targets -- allegations NATO leaders have denied.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 30 Apr. 2026
That’s not the only thing Lagrange and Cruz have in common, as Larson said the latter is also focused on attacking the zone and his command.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 30 Apr. 2026
The latest fell to Ademola Lookman after a flowing attacking move.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 29 Apr. 2026
Local Minneapolis prosecutors had invoked the law to suppress a sensational, anti-Semitic tabloid, The Saturday Press, which had been relentlessly attacking city officials as corrupt and in league with Jewish mobsters.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Apr. 2026
The International Energy Agency Iran has also alienated its Gulf neighbors and fellow OPEC producers by attacking their energy infrastructure with missiles and drones.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2026
Mark Carey, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
He was also found guilty of two counts of assault for attacking two other men with butcher knives.
—Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026
Alerts spark panicked flights The latest war erupted on March 2, when, after holding its fire since a 2024 truce, Hezbollah launched a surprise barrage of missiles into northern Israel in retaliation for the United States and Israel attacking Iran.
—Isabel Debre, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Moscow has also accused NATO nations of allowing their airspace to be used by Ukrainian drones attacking Russian targets -- allegations NATO leaders have denied.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 30 Apr. 2026
That’s not the only thing Lagrange and Cruz have in common, as Larson said the latter is also focused on attacking the zone and his command.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 30 Apr. 2026
The latest fell to Ademola Lookman after a flowing attacking move.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 29 Apr. 2026
Local Minneapolis prosecutors had invoked the law to suppress a sensational, anti-Semitic tabloid, The Saturday Press, which had been relentlessly attacking city officials as corrupt and in league with Jewish mobsters.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Apr. 2026
The International Energy Agency Iran has also alienated its Gulf neighbors and fellow OPEC producers by attacking their energy infrastructure with missiles and drones.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for attacking
Verb
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Rodriguez then got involved, reportedly grabbing the Disney employee's arm, shaking her and verbally assaulting both the actor playing Mirabel and the employee.—
Brittany Miller,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
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Allen was charged with discharging a weapon but has not been formally accused of assaulting a federal officer.—
Tim Stelloh,
NBC news,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar quickly responded on X, slamming his Ukrainian counterpart for conducting diplomacy on social media.—
Yuliya Talmazan,
NBC news,
28 Apr. 2026
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Trump’s remarks came hours after the first lady released a statement slamming Kimmel for the comment.—
Sydney Topf,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Phillips, a starter after transferring from Tennessee State, impressed scouts with his physical play, tackling and run defense.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
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Haven’t gotten around to tackling that deep spring cleaning checklist yet?—
Toni Sutton,
PEOPLE,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Fashion lovers will likely find satisfaction raiding the closets of OG characters Charlotte York-Goldenblatt (Kristin Davis) and Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon), along with newcomers Seema Patel (Sarita Choudhury) and Lisa Todd Wexley (Nicole Ari Parker).—
Kailyn Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
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Fuqua even shot scenes of the FBI raiding Neverland.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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First, as the Florida ACLU’s Howard Simon points out, Uthmeier is not scolding another branch of government.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Mar. 2026
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Security guard Pascal Duvier, most recently infamous for allegedly scolding 11-year-old Ada Law at a hotel in São Paulo, is clearing the air.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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By the time selling experimental and theraputic peptides to people who had watched athletes on steroids race for a million dollars was no longer a fever dream but an approaching reality, D’Souza felt his work was done.—
Clara Molot,
Vanity Fair,
30 Apr. 2026
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Orders of protection barring him from approaching his victims were issued, prosecutors said.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Trump posted a video on Truth Social showing the suspect storming the White House Correspondents' Dinner and a photo of the suspect on the ground after being apprehended.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
26 Apr. 2026
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Bart Jansen Iran claimed the first toll has been paid for ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz and demonstrated its control of the key waterway by having state television show commandos storming a cargo ship during a hiatus in peace talks with the United States.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The White House declined to comment on the allegations against former Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, who stepped down last week after multiple allegations of abusing her position’s power, including having an affair with a subordinate and drinking alcohol on the job.—
Ana Ceballos
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
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Under the plan, FISA, which allows warrantless wiretapping of noncitizens, would be extended for three years, with new oversight guardrails and penalties for abusing the spy tool.—
Hailey Bullis,
The Washington Examiner,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Attacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attacking. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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