Attack definition

Attack as a noun

1. (military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons)

   "the attack began at dawn"

   Same sense: onset, onslaught, onrush

2. an offensive move in a sport or game

   "they won the game with a 10-hit attack in the 9th inning"

3. intense adverse criticism

   "the government has come under attack"

   Same sense: fire, blast, flak, flack

4. ideas or actions intended to deal with a problem or situation

   "an attack on inflation"

   Same sense: approach, plan of attack

5. the act of attacking

   "attacks on women increased last year"

   Same sense: attempt

6. a decisive manner of beginning a musical tone or phrase

   Same sense: tone-beginning

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"

Attack as a verb

10. launch an attack or assault on; begin hostilities or start warfare with

    "Hitler attacked Poland on September 1, 1939 and started World War II"

    Same sense: assail

11. attack in speech or writing

    "The editors of the left-leaning paper attacked the new House Speaker"

    Same sense: round, assault, lash out, snipe, assail

12. take the initiative and go on the offensive

    "The Serbs attacked the village at night"

    Same sense: aggress

13. attack someone physically or emotionally

    Same sense: set on, assault, assail

14. set to work upon; turn one's energies vigorously to a task

    "I attacked the problem as soon as I got out of bed"

15. begin to injure

    "The cancer cells are attacking his liver"

Synonyms and antonyms

• onset
• onslaught
• onrush
• fire definition
• blast
• flak
• flack
• approach
• plan of attack
• attempt
• tone-beginning
• assail
• round definition
• assault
• lash out
• snipe
• aggress
• set on

Opposite: defend.

How to say attack

Attack has 2 syllables and rhymes with back. Syllable counts and rhymes come from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary.

Words that rhyme with attack

• back
• black
• track
• lack
• jack
• pack
• mac
• crack
• feedback
• stack
• comeback
• hack

ATTACK in word games

Scrabble

12

Words With Friends

13

Anagrams

0

Is ATTACK a valid Scrabble word? Yes, it is in the ENABLE list most word games use. Check ATTACK in the word checker, or unscramble ATTACK to see the shorter words in its letters.