assailant

noun

as·​sail·​ant ə-ˈsā-lənt How to pronounce assailant (audio)
plural assailants
Synonyms of assailantnext
: a person who attacks someone violently
an assault by an unknown assailant
She could identify the assailant and his two accomplices, and she wanted to press charges.—Jennifer Baumgardner
Detectives speculated that she may have been punched on the chin, perhaps knocked unconscious by her assailant.—Joseph Wambaugh

Synonyms of assailant

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Examples of assailant in a Sentence

the darkness prevented me from getting a good look at my assailant
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Erie Police Chief Rick Lorah said the assailant, a 45-year-old man, was related to seven of the victims in Friday’s shooting, and the eighth was a friend of the pregnant woman. — Jacqueline Ganun, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2026 Then in 1989, an assailant attacked an elementary school in Stockton, California, using an assault rifle to kill five people and wound 29, prompting public outcry and calls to restrict such weapons. — Robert Spitzer, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2026 Greene-Placentia said she was attacked, subdued and then woke up to find that she was being raped by an unknown assailant. — ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026 Yet, so many of them can’t speak publicly about their assailant or even confide in their parents about what happened to them. — Gretchen Carlson, New York Daily News, 2 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for assailant

Word History

First Known Use

1523, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of assailant was in 1523

Rhymes for assailant

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Browse Nearby Words

assailable
assailant
assailment
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Cite this Entry

“Assailant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assailant. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Legal Definition

assailant

noun
as·​sail·​ant ə-ˈsā-lənt How to pronounce assailant (audio)
: a person who commits criminal assault
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