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
At times, though, Gordon’s decision-making in the attacking third and in front of goal can be lacking.
—
Graham Ruthven, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
Brookline Fire says one employee suffered minor burn injuries, and a firefighter got a laceration while attacking the fire.
—Mike Sullivan, CBS News, 28 May 2026
And yet Gabbard never took the next obvious step and advised the president against attacking Iran.
—Andreas Kluth, Twin Cities, 28 May 2026
And yet the attacking options picked in that group have all been retained, despite numerous changes over the past year.
—Rob Tanner, New York Times, 27 May 2026
The mob burned and looted Shepherd’s home while attacking surrounding homes and businesses.
—Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 May 2026
Both sides accuse the other of intentionally attacking civilian targets.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 14 May 2026
So when attacking midfielder Nick Moon carried the ball down the left wing in the eighth minute, AC Boise bodies began rushing into the box.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 14 May 2026
Appeals Court affirms life sentence On Tuesday, the state Appeals Court affirmed the convictions of a man found guilty of attacking a Brockton woman in her home in 2013, the Plymouth DA announced.
—Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 13 May 2026
Graham Ruthven, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
Brookline Fire says one employee suffered minor burn injuries, and a firefighter got a laceration while attacking the fire.
—Mike Sullivan, CBS News, 28 May 2026
And yet Gabbard never took the next obvious step and advised the president against attacking Iran.
—Andreas Kluth, Twin Cities, 28 May 2026
And yet the attacking options picked in that group have all been retained, despite numerous changes over the past year.
—Rob Tanner, New York Times, 27 May 2026
The mob burned and looted Shepherd’s home while attacking surrounding homes and businesses.
—Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 May 2026
Both sides accuse the other of intentionally attacking civilian targets.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 14 May 2026
So when attacking midfielder Nick Moon carried the ball down the left wing in the eighth minute, AC Boise bodies began rushing into the box.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 14 May 2026
Appeals Court affirms life sentence On Tuesday, the state Appeals Court affirmed the convictions of a man found guilty of attacking a Brockton woman in her home in 2013, the Plymouth DA announced.
—Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 13 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for attacking
Verb
-
According to Cabarrus County court records, Howell, 35, was arrested Saturday and charged with assaulting Dennis Manchester at the track.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 May 2026
-
Radimak was accused of getting out of his car and assaulting her and a 35-year-old woman before fleeing.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
Footage of the game then showed George hobbling back to the dugout, slamming his helmet in frustration.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
-
Reyes is accused of intentionally slamming his SUV into the rear of the ICE agent's white pickup truck while the officer was performing official duties, according to the indictment.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
The United States, Australia and the United Kingdom have taken a big step towards tackling growing threats to undersea pipelines and cables, which carry huge amounts of energy and data around the world.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
31 May 2026
-
The Spa The hotel’s stylish subterranean spa, a roughly 6,500-square-foot complex, features candlelit treatment rooms offering everything from deep-tissue recovery work to the Rea Signature four-hands massage, with two specialists simultaneously tackling your stress.—
Anya von Bremzen,
Travel + Leisure,
31 May 2026
Verb
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This represents one major leap in the direction of authoritarianism — the president directly raiding the public offers to enrich cronies, not just via his corrupt business dealings and pseudo-bribes from foreign governments, but straight up getting checks from the public treasury.—
New York Daily News,
Twin Cities,
28 May 2026
-
This represents one major leap in the direction of authoritarianism — the president directly raiding the public coffers to enrich cronies, not just via his corrupt business dealings and pseudo-bribes from foreign governments, but straight up getting checks from the public treasury.—
The Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 May 2026
Verb
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Publicly, Ingoglia has become known for barnstorming the state to hold choreographed press conferences scolding cities and counties for wasteful spending.—
Jeffrey Schweers,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 May 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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This may be attributed to school districts approaching reading education in a different way.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
28 May 2026
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If a bear appears intent on approaching you, your group, or your campsite in a non-defensive manner (not showing signs of agitation), gather your group together, make noise, and try to discourage the bear from further approaching.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 May 2026
Verb
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For all the prior cinematic depictions of storming bunkers and camaraderie under fire, Pressure offers us the quiet heroism of rational restraint in the figure of James Stagg, who weathered his inner storms and bore the courage to be disliked.—
Daniel Jonah Wolpert,
NPR,
29 May 2026
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This revolutionary fervor culminated in both Fidel and Raúl, with roughly 140 rebel revolutionaries in tow, storming Cuba’s second-largest military installation, the Moncada Barracks, in July 1953.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
20 May 2026
Verb
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The rollout of some of these technologies has been quick, and departments are beginning to confront the risks of abusing the technology and changing the way laws are enforced.—
Noah Daly
Updated June 1,
Idaho Statesman,
1 June 2026
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Many files included women abusing children, police say.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Attacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attacking. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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