1. A threatened or attempted physical attack by someone who appears to be able to cause bodily harm if not stopped
   "The victim reported an assault by an unknown assailant"
    
2. (military) close fighting during the culmination of a military attack
   "The final assault on the enemy stronghold was successful"
    
3. The crime of forcing a person to submit to sexual intercourse against his or her will
   "The sexual assault was reported to the police";
   - rape, violation, ravishment [archaic]

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]
    
3. Aggressively challenge in speech or writing
   "The editors of the left-leaning paper assaulted the new House Speaker";
   - attack, round, assail, lash out

1. Thoroughbred that won the triple crown in 1946

Derived forms: assaults, assaulting, assaulted

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

Part of: attack, onrush, onset, onslaught

Encyclopedia: Assault