ATTACKED Synonyms: 161 Similar and Opposite Words

attacked

verb

past tense of attack

as in assaulted

to take sudden, violent action against our dog unexpectedly attacked the mailman, sinking his teeth into the startled man's leg

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in slammed

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

as in tackled

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 attacked But the university’s recent actions in a lawsuit filed by a former student who was attacked on campus during that period appear at odds with that commitment. — Joaquin Sapien, ProPublica, 28 Aug. 2026 Not long after Bungalow 8 opened, the World Trade Center was attacked. — Derek C. Blasberg, Vanity Fair, 28 Aug. 2026 Iran has attacked American allies in the region, and the Strait of Hormuz is still blocked to all but a trickle of commercial traffic. — Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026 The resident attacked the caregiver, sending him to the hospital. — Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026 But it is also believed to have attacked a base used by British forces in Cyprus and has apparently demonstrated an ability to reach islands used by American forces deep in the Indian Ocean, hundreds of miles away. — Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026 Seven dogs surrounded and attacked a Charlotte woman standing in her yard, and three additional people were hurt while trying to help her, according to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care and Control. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 27 Aug. 2026 Fire crews with water-dropping aircraft attacked a small wildfire that prompted new evacuations Thursday along California's remote Big Sur coast, where a much larger blaze has been burning for nearly three weeks. — ABC News, 27 Aug. 2026 An ambulance sent to rescue her was also attacked by the Israeli military, killing two medics. — Alex Ritman, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for attacked

Verb

Scott and Dylan walked away from faculty members and the video production crew and and Scott allegedly assaulted her in a janitor’s closet.

— Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is seeking the public’s assistance after a man broke into a woman’s residence and assaulted her early Tuesday morning in a small Kansas town.

— Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of assaulted

Verb

In April, the Biennale art exhibition — run by the Venice Biennale Foundation, which also runs the film festival — was slammed for allowing Russia and Israel to mount shows in their pavilions.

— Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 28 Aug. 2026
Since then, Hochman has been slammed for playing politics, embarrassing his office and even backing down for no reason other than the pressure was too intense.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of slammed

Verb

But before any of that can happen, Talarico says, corruption must be tackled.

— Eleanor Dearman Updated August 29, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2026
In an early 2000s commercial, Michelob Ultra portrayed a woman getting viciously tackled in a football game at a park.

— Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of tackled

Verb

Thieves on Thursday raided the Treasure of Villena -- one of the greatest Bronze Age gold collections -- at a museum in the Spanish city of Villena, taking most of the 50-plus mainly gold bracelets, bowls, bottles and other items on display.

— CBS News, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
Mundubile, who rejected the election result as neither free nor fair, had been in hiding since security forces raided his Lusaka home during the election period.

— Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of raided

Verb

In fact, during testing, the handheld triggered nostalgic memories of playing Final Fantasy Legend and Mario Land 2 on long car rides to my grandparents' house, but without the eye strain and being scolded for playing in the dark as the sun set.

— Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 22 Aug. 2026
For over a year, the White House has scolded and threatened the Smithsonian.

— Kelsey Ables, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of scolded

Verb

Sky guard Natasha Cloud approached Freedom’s courtside seat during a third-quarter timeout, leading to a verbal exchange.

— Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026
As the end approached, families moved out, one at a time, hugging and saying goodbyes to each other outside their dorms.

— Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of approached

Verb

Young people armed with machetes stormed the site of the funeral, forcing the team to flee and injuring one member, a representative told the Associated Press.

— Constant Same Bagalwa, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Jerusalem — Israeli settlers stormed a Palestinian village in the occupied West Bank on Saturday and seized a home while its owner was inside in the latest brazen settler attack in the area.

— Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of stormed

Verb

Furious season 1 wrapped up the case as Alice arrested Catherine at Jay Easton’s (Peter McRobbie) house — the site where Catherine and her friend Isabel (Larissa Campos) were abused.

— Kelly Allen, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026
That series revealed just how little many local police departments are doing to make sure street-camera data is not being abused.

— Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of abused

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“Attacked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attacked. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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verb

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