(~s, ~ing, ~ed)
Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
1.
An ~ by an army is a strong attack made on an area held by the enemy.
The rebels are poised for a new ~ on the government garrisons...
= attack
N-COUNT: oft N on/upon/against n
2.
Assault weapons such as rifles are intended for soldiers to use in battle rather than for purposes such as hunting.
ADJ: ADJ n
3.
An ~ on a person is a physical attack on them.
The attack is one of a series of savage sexual ~s on women in the university area...
At the police station, I was charged with ~.
N-VAR: oft N on/upon n
4.
To ~ someone means to physically attack them.
The gang ~ed him with iron bars...
She may have been sexually ~ed by her killer.
= attack
VERB: V n, V n
5.
An ~ on someone’s beliefs is a strong criticism of them.
He leveled a verbal ~ against his Democratic opponents.
N-COUNT: oft N on/upon/against n