attacking

verb

present participle of attack
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

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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 attacking Iran has bombarded several of its neighbors’ data centers, and the United States responded by attacking one of Iran’s. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026 That’s in stark contrast to their arachnid cousins, spiders, whose females that tend to be violent, attacking and eating the males. — Christa Lesté-Lasserre, Scientific American, 3 Aug. 2026 Peter Hotez was nearly a nightly guest, despite attacking other experts while being wrong about every single aspect of COVID-19 policy. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026 Both Kyiv and Moscow routinely describe their targets as military, energy or industrial sites and both accuse the other of intentionally attacking civilian targets. — David Brennan, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026 Owens shared a brief embrace with Sami Zayn before attacking his frenemy as well. — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026 This narrative — that whoever was in the Jeep was attacking racial justice protesters and that protesters or their allies fired back in self-defense — was echoed in social media posts and throughout the encampment. — Sydney Brownstone, NPR, 2 Aug. 2026 The knack for nipping past players and burning into attacking areas has been one of his strengths. — Cerys Jones, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026 Okot applied that advice by limiting unnecessary dribbles and attacking the basket more efficiently. — Micahya Costen, AJC.com, 28 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for attacking
  1. assaulting
  2. slamming
  3. tackling
  4. raiding
  5. scolding
  6. approaching
  7. storming
  8. abusing
Verb
  • The former Charlotte bus driver, who just unsuccessfully ran for a Mecklenburg County Commission at-large seat, faces charges of assaulting a federal agent while on federal property.
    — Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Cameras are located inside the room, and investigators obtained a search warrant to try and get video evidence of Riley allegedly assaulting the children.
    — Tom Ignudo, CBS News, 31 July 2026
Definition of assaulting
Verb
  • But according to rocket scientists at the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), slamming a nuclear warhead directly into the side of a space rock is a rookie mistake.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Charlotte faced off with Lash Legend, and Lash got the better of Charlotte by slamming her on a ladder.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of slamming
Verb
  • The two crew members — one Greek and one Danish national — died when their helicopter collided with another near the seaside area of Psatha while tackling the fire that started Friday morning.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Lisa Su, the CEO of $748 billion tech giant AMD, also believes that tackling challenges head-on is the best advice she’s ever received.
    — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of tackling
Verb
  • New York State officials seized and killed P’Nut, the internet-famous squirrel, and Fred the raccoon after raiding a private home.
    — Vanessa Shakib, Oc Register, 23 July 2026
  • These are not jam band casualties raiding Home Depot for chemicals.
    — Charles Moss, SPIN, 16 July 2026
Definition of raiding
Verb
  • Rather than scolding parents about screens, society could do more to support families in ways that obviate the need for screen time.
    — Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Do not punish your dog by scolding or yelling at them, as this may make your dog's behavior worse out of fear or stress.
    — Madeline Gunderson, USA Today, 28 July 2026
Definition of scolding
Verb
  • With the 30th anniversary of Cinderella fast approaching, Houston’s greatest heartbreak may have a chance to be mended.
    — Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 29 July 2026
  • Salgado is accused of approaching the man, taunting him to start a fight and punching him in the face, police said.
    — Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 29 July 2026
Definition of approaching
Verb
  • Fatal influence cut off their offense, but Brie came storming back with a big right hand.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Moroccan forces beat back crowds with batons and tear gas at the gates to Ceuta, trying to prevent more from storming across into the tiny Spanish territory that juts on a spit of sandy land into the Mediterranean from Morocco.
    — Michael Francis Gore, USA Today, 31 July 2026
Definition of storming
Verb
  • The woman Morris was convicted of abusing, Cindy Clemishire, has filed a $1 million defamation suit against Morris, the church, former and current elders, and a former church employee in Dallas County.
    — Giles Hudson, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026
  • One of them, a shorter, bearded man with a nose reddened and swollen from years of abusing liquor, gave a low whistle.
    — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 31 July 2026
Definition of abusing

Browse Nearby Words

attackers
attacking
attacks
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Cite this Entry

“Attacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attacking. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of attacking for Spanish Speakers

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