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
Relevance
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
There are outside groups aligned with Democrats, yet much of their spending has focused on attacking Collins, rather than supporting a Democratic primary candidate.
—
Steve Mistler, NPR, 26 Mar. 2026
Regardless, there’s no excuse — even in hard knocks politics — for attacking someone because of his disability.
—George Skelton, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
Before his death, Iran was believed to be responsible for attacking at least 18 ships in and around the Persian Gulf since the outbreak of war, according to data compiled by the International Maritime Organization.
—Raf Sanchez, NBC news, 26 Mar. 2026
In one of them, a spot attacking Harman, Checchi included a photo of the lieutenant governor — and not a bad-looking one at that.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
His partnership with Pasalic and the rest of the attacking line will pose a threat to both Colombia and Brazil.
—Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2026
Yet the graphic below shows a 10-game average of Palace’s direct attacks per game — as a proxy of counter-attacking — and indicates a sharp drop-off around the time of that 2-1 defeat by Sunderland, a match that coincided with the sale of Guehi.
—Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
There have been lots of books attacking Churchill.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
Ghalibaf accused Israel of attacking infrastructure to conceal battlefield defeats in an X post.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 19 Mar. 2026
Steve Mistler, NPR, 26 Mar. 2026
Regardless, there’s no excuse — even in hard knocks politics — for attacking someone because of his disability.
—George Skelton, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
Before his death, Iran was believed to be responsible for attacking at least 18 ships in and around the Persian Gulf since the outbreak of war, according to data compiled by the International Maritime Organization.
—Raf Sanchez, NBC news, 26 Mar. 2026
In one of them, a spot attacking Harman, Checchi included a photo of the lieutenant governor — and not a bad-looking one at that.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
His partnership with Pasalic and the rest of the attacking line will pose a threat to both Colombia and Brazil.
—Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2026
Yet the graphic below shows a 10-game average of Palace’s direct attacks per game — as a proxy of counter-attacking — and indicates a sharp drop-off around the time of that 2-1 defeat by Sunderland, a match that coincided with the sale of Guehi.
—Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
There have been lots of books attacking Churchill.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
Ghalibaf accused Israel of attacking infrastructure to conceal battlefield defeats in an X post.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 19 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for attacking
Verb
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Arnold's name was first brought up in the case after 23-year-old Boakai Hilton, who is believed to be an associate of Arnold, Arianna Del Valle, Jasmine Randazzo, Christion Williams, Lyndell Hudson and Freddie Hughes were arrested for allegedly kidnapping three men and assaulting them.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
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According to a 911 call log, a caller reported that her boyfriend was assaulting her at that address.—
Amy McDaniel,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The wing struck the roof of a home before slamming into an exterior wall of a second home next door.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
1 Apr. 2026
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The pair have been in physical altercations in the past, including Manning's 2012 arrest for allegedly punching, scratching, kicking and choking Hartman – whom media outlets have referred to as Manning's former make-up artist and assistant – and slamming her head against the floor and wall.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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What should never come into question, however, is the importance of tackling the hard questions in the first place — specifically, those questions that get at the heart of how our world works — even if finding the correct solutions involves more dead ends than front-page news stories.—
Mariangela Lisanti,
Twin Cities,
27 Mar. 2026
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Flea’s new release is a temple of American culture, tackling the timely subjects of civil war, peace and love, and doing so in its own meditative time and space.—
Lars Brandle,
Billboard,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The new administration accuses the Gainey administration of raiding city trust funds to pay for some programs and departments while underfunding others.—
Andy Sheehan,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
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That’s a different kind of story than raiding a floating restaurant or escaping a marine base.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
16 Mar. 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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The strike was the latest on a health care facility in the Sudan war, which is approaching its third anniversary next month.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 Mar. 2026
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Storms are expected to develop along an approaching cold front during the evening hours, when atmospheric instability and wind shear increase.—
Vytas Reid,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Fungi aren’t literally storming areas like rain or hail, but storms act as the vehicle while the spores supply the threat.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
30 Mar. 2026
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Dweir said an argument between a resident of Suqaylabiyah and another from Qalaat al-Madiq led to scores of men from the Sunni town storming the area and attacking shops, homes and cars.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Investigators said, following the report, the child's mother checked surveillance video from inside the home and saw the night nurse, Cindy Dresser, physically abusing the child.—
Stephanie Ballesteros,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
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Judge Joel Bennathan sentenced Matvei Rumiantsev, a 23-year-old Russian national, to two years in prison after being found guilty of assault for abusing his on-and-off girlfriend.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Attacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attacking. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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