attack

1 of 3

verb

at·tack ə-ˈtak

attacked; attacking; attacks

Synonyms of attack next

transitive verb

: to set upon or work against forcefully

attack an enemy fortification

: to assail with unfriendly or bitter words

a politician verbally attacked by critics

: to begin to affect or to act on injuriously

plants attacked by aphids

: to set to work on

attack a problem

: to begin to eat (food) eagerly

At the table he attacked his meal with such singleminded ferocity as to be, as Boswell put it, disgusting to those whose sensations were delicate.—

Donald R. DeGlopper

chess : to threaten (a piece) with immediate capture

intransitive verb

: to make an attack

They were unprepared when the enemy attacked.

attacker noun

plural attackers

attack

2 of 3

noun

plural attacks

: the act of attacking with physical force or unfriendly words : assault

the victim of a knife attack

a verbal attack

: a belligerent or antagonistic action

launched an attack against his political opponents

: a fit of sickness

especially : an active episode of a chronic or recurrent disease

an attack of bronchitis

: a period of being strongly affected by something (such as a desire or mood)

an attack of the jitters

: an aggressive attempt to take or extend a lead over others in a race (such as a bicycle race)

… he crushed his rivals in the first mountain stages by going on relatively long solo attacks.—

Samuel Abt

: an offensive or scoring action

won the game with an 8-hit attack

: offensive players or the positions taken up by them

: the setting to work on some undertaking

made a new attack on the problem

a new plan of attack

: the beginning of destructive action (as by a chemical agent)

music : the act or manner of beginning a musical tone or phrase

attack

3 of 3

adjective

: designed, planned, or used for carrying out a military attack

an attack helicopter

: expressing or involving aggressively negative and harsh criticism of someone (such as a political opponent)

attack ads

Early in my magazine career, I at times participated in a form of attack journalism that today fills me with remorse—picking a target and sending out a reporter to bring back the scalp.—

Daniel Okrent

Phrases

on the attack

: making an attack

The soldiers were on the attack.

—often used in the phrase go on the attack with the meaning "to begin attacking"

Last week he challenged Bradley to debate him and went on the attack, accusing his challenger of "disloyalty" to the party …—

Matt Bai

under attack

: in the process of being attacked

soldiers under attack

a politician who is under attack from his opponents

—often used in the phrase come under attack with the meaning "to begin being attacked"

a theory that has recent come under attack

Choose the Right Synonym for attack

attack, assail, assault, bombard, storm mean to make an onslaught upon.

attack implies taking the initiative in a struggle.

plan to attack the town at dawn

assail implies attempting to break down resistance by repeated blows or shots.

assailed the enemy with artillery fire

assault suggests a direct attempt to overpower by suddenness and violence of onslaught.

commandos assaulted the building from all sides

bombard applies to attacking with bombs or shells.

bombarded the city nightly

storm implies attempting to break into a defended position.

preparing to storm the fortress

Examples of attack in a Sentence

Verb He attacked the guard with a knife. Troops attacked the fortress at dawn. The troops attacked at dawn. People are attacking the mayor for breaking campaign promises. The professor has been widely attacked for her position on the issue. Did you see the way the kids attacked that pizza? Noun The immune system is the body's defense against attack by germs. The spray protects plants from attacks by many common pests. The surprise attack came at dawn. There is a threat of nuclear attack. There have been many attacks against the professor for her position on the issue. The newspaper editorial is an attack on policy-makers. Adjective The bombers were in attack formation.

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.

Verb

Just two years prior, the NFL team had shelled out more than $1.4 million trying to get Becker elected mayor, and another roughly $1 million attacking Mayor Lisa Gillmor. —

Grace Hase, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024 An investigation from DePaul University and the Chicago Police Department is underway after two Jewish students who were visibly showing their support for Israel were attacked on the university’s Lincoln Park campus. —

Nbc Chicago, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024

Noun

For the most part, Israel’s response to Hamas’s devastating October 7 attack was confined to the Gaza Strip. —

Carrie A. Lee, Foreign Affairs, 19 Nov. 2024 Episodes often feature logistically complex armed attacks, guided from afar by the top brass, played by the likes of Kidman, Morgan Freeman, Michael Kelly, Jennifer Ehle, and Bruce McGill. —

Noel Murray, Vulture, 18 Nov. 2024

Adjective

How common is the multi-attack ransomware threat? —

Davey Winder, Forbes, 13 Aug. 2022 Among its findings are that most attackers exhibit indicators of pre-attack behavior. —

Brooke Baitinger, Sun Sentinel, 15 June 2022 See all Example Sentences for attack

Word History

Etymology

Verb, Noun, and Adjective

Middle French attaquer, from Old Italian *estaccare to attach, from stacca stake, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English staca

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1576, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1655, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1686, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of attack was circa 1576

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Attack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/attack. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

attack

1 of 2 verb

at·tack ə-ˈtak

: to take strong action against

the dog attacked a skunk

: to use unfriendly or bitter words against

: to begin to cause something harmful or destructive to happen to

attacked by fever

: to start work on

attack a problem

attacker noun

attack

2 of 2 noun

: the act or action of attacking : assault

: a beginning of work on something (as a problem or project)

: a spell of sickness

especially : one of a disease that is long-lasting or that tends to occur over and over again

Medical Definition

attack

1 of 2 transitive verb

at·tack ə-ˈtak

: to begin to affect or to act on injuriously

tumors attacked the kidneys

attacked by a fever

attack

2 of 2 noun

: a fit of sickness

especially : an active episode of a chronic or recurrent disease

Legal Definition

attack

noun

at·tack

: an attempt to prove something invalid or incorrect especially through judicial procedures

made an attack on the will as not properly witnessed

specifically : an attempt to have the judgment of a court corrected or overruled

— collateral attack

: an attack on a judgment made during or by a proceeding brought for a different purpose see also habeas corpus ad subjiciendum at habeas corpus

— direct attack

: an attack on a judgment made in a proceeding (as an appeal) brought for the specific purpose of having the judgment corrected or overturned

attack verb

Last Updated: 21 Nov 2024 - Updated example sentences

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attack

verb

noun

adjective

Synonyms

Examples of attack in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near attack

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

Medical Definition

Legal Definition