assailant

noun

as·​sail·​ant ə-ˈsā-lənt How to pronounce assailant (audio)
plural assailants
: a person who attacks someone violently
an assault by an unknown assailant
She could identify the assailant and his two accomplices, and she wanted to press charges.Jennifer Baumgardner
Detectives speculated that she may have been punched on the chin, perhaps knocked unconscious by her assailant.Joseph Wambaugh

Examples of assailant in a Sentence

the darkness prevented me from getting a good look at my assailant
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The assailant used zip ties to constrain her wrists before strangling her nearly unconscious twice. Michael Loftus, CBS News, 13 Dec. 2024 Lewin slipped the poison pill into her mouth, but the assailants choked her and removed the capsule. Joshua Hammer, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Dec. 2024 The assailant then raped the victim before fleeing southbound on Virginia Ave., cops said, adding that afterward, Williams approached a nearby food truck vendor and asked for napkins. Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 12 Dec. 2024 The assailant arrived in New York City on a bus from Atlanta Nov. 24, stayed at an AYH Hostel on the Upper West Side and likely fled the city via the Port Authority bus station. Christina Coulter, Fox News, 7 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for assailant 

Word History

First Known Use

1523, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of assailant was in 1523

Dictionary Entries Near assailant

Cite this Entry

“Assailant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assailant. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

Legal Definition

assailant

noun
as·​sail·​ant ə-ˈsā-lənt How to pronounce assailant (audio)
: a person who commits criminal assault

More from Merriam-Webster on assailant

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!