 attack |
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| 1. | [ verb ] (military) launch an attack or assault on; begin hostilities with, as in warfare | |
| Synonyms: | assail | |
| Examples: | "Hitler attacked Poland on September 1, 1939 and started World War II" "Serbian forces assailed Bosnian towns all week" |
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| Related terms: | defend fight strike invade bomb raid besiege gas counterattack pepper strafe bombard storm torpedo cannonade submarine blitz attacker | |
| 2. | [ noun ] (military) an offensive against and enemy (using weapons) | |
| Synonyms: | onslaught onrush onset | |
| Examples: | "the attack began at dawn" |
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| Related terms: | operation strike fire charge bombing penetration counterattack diversion blitz banzai_attack surprise_attack ground_attack strafe assault military | |
| 3. | [ noun ] the onset of a corrosive or destructive process (as by a chemical agent) | |
| Examples: | "the film was sensitive to attack by acids" "open to attack by the elements" |
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| Related terms: | degeneration | |
| 4. | [ verb ] attack verbally, in speech or writing | |
| Synonyms: | assail lash_out snipe assault round | |
| Examples: | "The editors of the left-leaning paper attacked the new House Speaker" |
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| Related terms: | criticize abuse vitriol whang blister rip claw rubbish barrage attacker | |
| 5. | [ verb ] take the initiative and go on the offensive | |
| Synonyms: | aggress | |
| Examples: | : "The Serbs attacked the village at night" "The visiting team started to attack" |
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| Related terms: | act tackle fork harass check pin attacker aggression | |
| 6. | [ verb ] attack someone physically or emotionally | |
| Synonyms: | assault assail set_on | |
| Examples: | "The mugger assaulted the woman" "Nightmares assailed him regularly" |
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| Related terms: | rush jump rape beset molest desecrate reassail blindside savage sic bulldog bait attacker | |
| 7. | [ noun ] (sport) an offensive move in a sport or game | |
| Examples: | "they won the game with a 10-hit attack in the 9th inning" |
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| Related terms: | turn counterattack | |
| 8. | [ noun ] intense adverse criticism | |
| Synonyms: | flak blast flack fire | |
| Examples: | "Clinton directed his fire at the Republican Party" "the government has come under attack" "don't give me any flak" |
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| Related terms: | criticism | |
| 9. | [ noun ] ideas or actions intended to deal with a problem or situation | |
| Synonyms: | approach plan_of_attack | |
| Examples: | "his approach to every problem is to draw up a list of pros and cons" "an attack on inflation" "his plan of attack was misguided" |
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| Related terms: | conceptualization avenue set_about | |
| 10. | [ verb ] set to work upon; turn one's energies vigorously to a task | |
| Examples: | "I attacked the problem as soon as I got out of bed" |
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| Related terms: | begin attacker | |
| 11. | [ noun ] (law,criminal law) the act of attacking | |
| Synonyms: | attempt | |
| Examples: | "attacks on women increased last year" "they made an attempt on his life" |
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| Related terms: | crime battery assault assail | |
| 12. | [ adjective ] used in an attack | |
| Synonyms: | assault | |
| Examples: | "assault weapons", "attack planes" |
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| Related terms: | offensive | |
| 13. | [ noun ] (music) a decisive manner of beginning a musical tone or phrase | |
| Synonyms: | tone-beginning | |
| Related terms: | beginning | |
| 14. | [ noun ] strong criticism | |
| Examples: | "he published an unexpected attack on my work" |
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| Related terms: | criticism aspersion | |
| 15. | [ verb ] begin to injure | |
| Examples: | "The cancer cells are attacking his liver" "Rust is attacking the metal" |
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| Related terms: | affect | |
| 16. | [ noun ] (medicine) a sudden occurrence of an uncontrollable condition | |
| Examples: | "an attack of diarrhea" |
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| Related terms: | affliction seizure paroxysm occlusion stroke heart_attack flare touch hysterics anxiety_attack | |
| 17. | [ noun ] turning your attention to a problem or a job etc. | |
| Synonyms: | tone-beginning assault | |
| Examples: | "his attack on the problem was misguided" "he did not make a direct assault on her affections" |
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| Related terms: | attention beginning | |
| Similar spelling: |
attach attache attic ataxy ataxia |
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