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attack

/əˈtæk/noun, verb2 syllables

Attack means: attack in speech or writing.

Synonyms for attack32

noun, as in intense adverse criticism

fire, flak, flack, blast

noun, as in (military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons)

onslaught, onset, onrush

noun, as in ideas or actions intended to deal with a problem or situation

approach, plan of attack

noun, as in the act of attacking

attempt

noun, as in a decisive manner of beginning a musical tone or phrase

tone-beginning

verb, as in attack in speech or writing

round, assail, lash out, snipe, assault

verb, as in attack someone physically or emotionally

assail, assault, set on

verb, as in launch an attack or assault on; begin hostilities or start warfare with

assail, aggress

verb, as in take the initiative and go on the offensive

aggress, assail

also used for attack

hit, spike, savage, abuse, beat, beleaguer, bepommel, beset, besiege, bombard, charge, come down on, dust up, fall on

Includes material from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Opposites of attack

defend

What does attack mean?15

verb

1

attack in speech or writing“The editors of the left-leaning paper attacked the new House Speaker”

2

attack someone physically or emotionally“The mugger assaulted the woman”

3

launch an attack or assault on; begin hostilities or start warfare with“Hitler attacked Poland on September 1, 1939 and started World War II”

4

take the initiative and go on the offensive“The Serbs attacked the village at night”

5

set to work upon; turn one's energies vigorously to a task“I attacked the problem as soon as I got out of bed”

6

begin to injure“The cancer cells are attacking his liver”

noun

1

intense adverse criticism“Clinton directed his fire at the Republican Party”

2

(military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons)“the attack began at dawn”

3

ideas or actions intended to deal with a problem or situation“his approach to every problem is to draw up a list of pros and cons”

4

the act of attacking“attacks on women increased last year”

5

a decisive manner of beginning a musical tone or phrase

6

an offensive move in a sport or game“they won the game with a 10-hit attack in the 9th inning”

7

a sudden occurrence of an uncontrollable condition“an attack of diarrhea”

8

the onset of a corrosive or destructive process (as by a chemical agent)“the film was sensitive to attack by acids”

9

strong criticism“he published an unexpected attack on my work”

Definitions from the Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

What rhymes with attack?32

Show 40 near rhymes
thatashaveatancanhashadthanlastmanambadthankthanksfacthalfhandunderstandyeahclasspastaskactaskedplanchancelandalbankhandsstandtaxfastmatchadddamnperhapsstaffbegan

All 32 rhymes for attack, grouped by syllable

Attack in a sentence

  • Oftentimes, the best solution is to systematically attack the problem!slyfin
  • We'll attack their southern flank here, here, and here.Eccles17
  • Beware, the robot takes everything literally and can be easily provoked to attack.Eccles17
  • What with having no exercise and being overweight, he had a heart attack.auxitt
  • Rather than attack racism, they attack each other for being insufficiently anti-racist.mailohilohi
  • You're the only one to survive the attack, aren't you?CK
  • You're the only one who survived the attack, aren't you?CK
  • If you meet a zombie at night, you will have a heart attack.MessDjaaf

Sentences from Tatoeba, CC BY 2.0 FR, credited to their authors.

Forms of attack

as a noun

plural
attacks

as a verb

past tense
attacked
present participle
attacking
third-person singular
attacks
past participle
attacked