1
as in attacked
to criticize harshly and usually publicly
the union organizers assailed the chemical company for failing to provide a safe working environment
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in assaulted
to take sudden, violent action against
the small birds assailed the larger one that had threatened their nest
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 assailed
Thomas wrote a dissenting opinion, to which Alito also attached his name, and assailed the court majority for refusing to hear Alabama's case.
—
Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025
The high-drama scene the mayor will be walking into is hardly his first time being assailed over immigration.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2025
Democrats who opposed the measure assailed it as discriminatory and a waste of floor time.
—Ramsey Touchberry, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 3 Mar. 2025
The district attorney repeatedly assailed the Police Department over the level of security in its evidence room, saying that officers had unfettered access through a gap in the wall and used a broomstick to jimmy a door.
—Neil Vigdor, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
By then, no official blacklist existed but she was routinely assailed by right wingers as a treasonous ingrate and tool of Hanoi.
—Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Feb. 2025
Advocates of temperance have attacked the more positive report, while the alcohol industry assailed the more critical one.
—Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2025
Advocates, meanwhile, have assailed the measure as cruel and counterproductive.
—Ethan Varian, The Mercury News, 13 Feb. 2025
My reasons for feeling personally assailed by attacks and inferences that DEI has contributed negatively to the quality of operations and successes of organizations that have implemented DEI philosophy and training are many.
—Dr. Tony Lux, Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2025
Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025
The high-drama scene the mayor will be walking into is hardly his first time being assailed over immigration.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2025
Democrats who opposed the measure assailed it as discriminatory and a waste of floor time.
—Ramsey Touchberry, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 3 Mar. 2025
The district attorney repeatedly assailed the Police Department over the level of security in its evidence room, saying that officers had unfettered access through a gap in the wall and used a broomstick to jimmy a door.
—Neil Vigdor, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
By then, no official blacklist existed but she was routinely assailed by right wingers as a treasonous ingrate and tool of Hanoi.
—Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Feb. 2025
Advocates of temperance have attacked the more positive report, while the alcohol industry assailed the more critical one.
—Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2025
Advocates, meanwhile, have assailed the measure as cruel and counterproductive.
—Ethan Varian, The Mercury News, 13 Feb. 2025
My reasons for feeling personally assailed by attacks and inferences that DEI has contributed negatively to the quality of operations and successes of organizations that have implemented DEI philosophy and training are many.
—Dr. Tony Lux, Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for assailed
Verb
-
Canada attacked more fervently afterwards .—
Joshua Kloke,
The Athletic,
24 Mar. 2025
-
As the graph below shows, Bournemouth have primarily attacked down their left flank this season, with the axis between Dean Huijsen at left centre-back, wing-back Kerkez and winger Antoine Semenyo proving crucial.—
Carl Anka,
The Athletic,
24 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Shaken after being assaulted by a patient, Dana ends her shift by taking down the family photos she’s taped around her workstation.—
Kristen Baldwin,
EW.com,
11 Apr. 2025
-
Men broke into an Arizona resort room, assaulted a man and kidnapped a woman, police said.—
Helena Wegner,
Sacbee.com,
10 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Councilmember Bob Holden slammed Hochul for this, arguing that the city and state simply need to enforce existing laws instead of changing them.—
Josephine Stratman,
New York Daily News,
3 Jan. 2025
-
Two people are dead and 19 others injured after a small plane slammed into a Fullerton warehouse filled with workers.—
Hunter Clauss,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Israeli forces raided one of the few remaining hospitals in northern Gaza on Friday and burned it after removing patients from inside, Gaza's health ministry said.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
27 Dec. 2024
-
Last year, Israeli forces raided hospitals in northern Gaza, including Kamal Adwan, Indonesian and al-Awda facilities, alleging they were being used as Hamas strongholds.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
27 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
But the photos in that email, from camera traps in the Andes mountains, struck him as different.—
Jonathan Lambert,
NPR,
31 Dec. 2024
-
Puerto Rico continues to struggle with chronic power outages blamed on a crumbling power grid that was razed by Hurricane Maria, a powerful category 4 storm that struck the island in September 2017.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
31 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Assailed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assailed. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share