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1. Use aggressive force against
   "The mugger assaulted the woman";
   - assail, set on, attack
    
2. Force (someone) to have sex against their will
   "The woman was assaulted on her way home at night";
   - rape, ravish [archaic], violate, dishonor [US, archaic], dishonour [Brit, Cdn, archaic], outrage
    
3. Aggressively challenge in speech or writing
   "The editors of the left-leaning paper assaulted the new House Speaker";
   - attack, round, assail, lash out, snipe

1. (military) close fighting during the culmination of a military attack
    
2. A threatened or attempted physical attack by someone who appears to be able to cause bodily harm if not stopped
    
3. The crime of forcing a person to submit to sexual intercourse against his or her will
   - rape, violation, ravishment

1. Thoroughbred that won the triple crown in 1946

Derived forms: assaults, assaulting, assaulted

Type of: abuse, attack, attempt, battle, conflict, criticise [Brit], criticize, damn [informal], engagement, fight, knock [informal], pick apart, sex crime, sex offence [Brit, Cdn], sex offense [US], sexual abuse, sexual assault, thoroughbred

Part of: attack, onrush, onset, onslaught

Encyclopedia: Assault