1
as in attacks
to criticize harshly and usually publicly
the union organizers assailed the chemical company for failing to provide a safe working environment
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in assaults
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
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Recent Examples of assails
As an example, Vance called out an essay in The Nation that assails Kirk’s views on women, homosexuality, and affirmative action.
—
Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 20 Sep. 2025
Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 20 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for assails
Verb
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Petro attacks Trump while protecting narcos and engaging in the drug business.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Oct. 2025
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With Pervis Estupinan or Davide Bartesaghi holding width on the left and No 9 Santiago Gimenez dragging defenders away, Pulisic attacks the gap between centre-back and full-back, arriving in stride rather than starting wide.—
Sukhman Singh,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The White House told ProPublica that anyone who assaults federal immigration agents would be prosecuted.—
Nicole Foy,
ProPublica,
18 Oct. 2025
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The Kid also physically assaults Apollonia at one point.—
Ross Raihala,
Twin Cities,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Comedian Bill Maher suggests New York City Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani should renounce his Ugandan dual citizenship over the country’s record on LGBTQ+ rights, and slams the democratic candidate for his recent meeting with a New York Imam, also criticized for his stance on gay rights.—
The Hill,
The Hill,
27 Oct. 2025
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Once the truck begins driving straight, the beige SUV speeds up and slams into the truck’s back-left side.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The episode sees Marge revisit her nostalgia for a Dawson's Creek-esque '90s teen drama as Lisa raids her mom's closet for vintage threads with the help of fashion-forward classmates Devin (Cole Escola) and Vidalia (Stephanie Hsu).—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Sep. 2025
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Appalachian State’s victory at Michigan in 2007 remains the greatest example of what can happen when a good FCS team walks into your house and raids the fridge, and everything else, but leaves the dog.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Governance scolds are appalled by the number, as is the pope.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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Woke scolds and anti-woke dolts alike objected to the image of Carpenter kneeling in front of a man who appears to be using her hair as a leash.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Unless Congress somehow strikes an agreement to fund the government by Thursday, Hjaltalin and millions of other Californians will not get their next month’s SNAP benefits starting next week.—
Kristen Taketa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Oct. 2025
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The agency reported that lightning most often strikes people who participate in outdoor recreational activities or work outside.—
Perry Vandell,
AZCentral.com,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Jenkins did not respond to an interview request, but the extent of those concerns appears to have been a memo authored by an Oakland resident who frequently criticizes the commission at public forums.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
13 Oct. 2025
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To do so, the country is supporting mass infrastructure projects and the construction of stadiums, priorities that the movement heavily criticizes.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Advertisement Displacement robs people of agency.—
Cas Holman,
Time,
21 Oct. 2025
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Directed by Sara Talab, this evocative period drama unfolds in 1960s Jeddah, where a young musician’s life is upended when illness robs him of his hearing.—
Essie Assibu,
Variety,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Assails.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assails. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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