INDEX:
1. to attack someone
2. to attack someone suddenly and unexpectedly
3. to attack a place or country
4. to attack someone because they attacked you
5. an attack against a person
6. a military attack
7. a person or place that attacks another person or country
8. a person or place that is attacked
9. easy to attack
RELATED WORDS
opposite
↑ DEFEND
↑ PROTECT
to criticize someone : ↑ CRITICIZE
to hit someone : ↑ HIT
to attack someone and force them to have sex : ↑ SEX
see also
↑ SHOOT
↑ THREATEN
↑ CRIME
↑ ARMY
↑ WAR
↑ VIOLENT
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1. to attack someone
▷ attack /əˈtæk/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to use violence against someone and try to hurt them :
▪ A woman was attacked by three youths while she was out jogging in Central Park.
▪ Police dogs are trained to attack in certain circumstances.
▪ He was badly injured when one of his own bulls attacked him.
attack somebody with something
▪ Her husband attacked her with a knife.
▷ mug /mʌg/ [transitive verb usually in passive]
to attack someone and take money from them in a public place such as a street :
▪ Since moving to New Jersey, he has been mugged at gunpoint twice.
▪ If anyone ever tried to mug me, I would throw my bag and run.
get mugged
▪ I was scared I would get mugged or raped.
▷ assault /əˈsɔːlt/ [transitive verb]
to attack and hurt someone - use this especially to talk about the crime of attacking someone :
▪ He assaulted a female flight attendant who refused to serve him more drinks.
▪ Some supporters ran onto the field and assaulted the referee.
sexually assault somebody
▪ She was kidnapped and sexually assaulted at gunpoint.
▷ stab /stæb/ [transitive verb usually in passive]
to attack someone by pushing a knife into them :
▪ The victim had been stabbed six times.
stab somebody in something
▪ Meyers was stabbed once in the abdomen and once in the neck.
stab at
▪ Her assailant lunged, stabbing at her again and again.
▷ go for /ˈgəʊ fɔːʳ/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to attack someone with a sudden violent movement :
go for somebody
▪ Charlie went for Murray as soon as he entered the room, pushing him up against the wall.
go for somebody with something
▪ One day Grandma got so mad she went for Grandpa with the kitchen knife.
go for somebody’s throat/ears/eyes etc
▪ The dog went straight for my throat, without warning.
▪ If you are attacked, go for your attacker’s eyes as they are the most vulnerable part of the face.
▷ lay into /ˈleɪ ɪntuː/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to attack someone very violently, hitting them repeatedly and without control :
lay into somebody
▪ From the moment the bell rang, Tyson laid into his opponent.
lay into somebody with something
▪ The video shows a policeman repeatedly laying into a protestor with his baton.
2. to attack someone suddenly and unexpectedly
▷ ambush /ˈæmbʊʃ/ [transitive verb]
if a group of people ambush someone, they hide and wait for them and then suddenly attack them :
▪ The rebel group successfully ambushed a regiment of American reinforcements.
▪ He was afraid he would be stopped by government troops or, even worse, ambushed by the Vietcong.
▪ Parker ambushed a school bus on a field trip and held 17 children and their teacher hostage.
▷ be set upon by /biː ˈset əpɒn baɪ/ [verb phrase]
to suddenly be attacked by people or animals, especially when you are going somewhere - used especially in written or literary contexts :
▪ He had been set upon by bat-wielding racists, so he understood how I felt.
▪ The drivers were set upon by a mob, including several women, which showered them with stones.
▷ turn on also turn upon /ˈtɜːʳn ɒn, ˈtɜːʳn əpɒn/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to suddenly attack someone you are with, especially when it is very unexpected :
▪ Red with rage, Frank turned on Anna, grasping her arm in a vice-like grip.
▪ Then the warriors turned upon each other, for a fight to the death.
▷ strike /straɪk/ [intransitive verb]
to make a quick sudden attack especially on someone who is not expecting to be attacked :
▪ They felt sure the killer would strike again, but could not say when.
▪ The police struck at dawn in a carefully timed operation to catch the bombers.
▷ pounce /paʊns/ [intransitive verb]
to suddenly jump on another person from a place where you have been hiding, in order to catch or attack them :
be ready/waiting/set to pounce
▪ He crouched on the ground, like an animal ready to pounce.
pounce on
▪ Before he could rescue it, the cat pounced on the bird and carried it to the bushes.
▷ jump /dʒʌmp/ [transitive verb] informal
to attack someone suddenly and usually from behind, in order to injure them or to rob them :
▪ Two guys tried to jump me in the park last night.
▪ He climbed over the wall and jumped the guard, easily overpowering him.
3. to attack a place or country
▷ attack /əˈtæk/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to attack a place or country using weapons, aircraft, soldiers etc :
▪ On 25 April, British and Australian troops attacked the enemy at Gallipoli.
▪ The village had been attacked by enemy warplanes.
▪ The special unit attacked at dawn, inflicting heavy losses.
▪ General Powell consulted with the President before giving the order to attack.
attacking [adjective only before noun]
attacking army/forces
▪ Almost two-thirds of the attacking force had been wiped out.
▷ invade /ɪnˈveɪd/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
if a country’s army invades another country, it enters it and tries to control it :
▪ Enemy forces were almost certainly preparing to invade.
▪ Sicily was invaded by the Normans, and later by the Saracens.
▪ In his latest film, super-intelligent aliens invade Earth and try to take over.
invading [adjective only before noun]
invading army/forces etc
▪ The villagers headed for the mountains to escape the invading army.
▷ raid /reɪd/ [transitive verb]
if a group of soldiers raids a place or town belonging to an enemy, they attack it suddenly and without any warning and cause a lot of damage in a short time :
▪ The rebels raided the tiny mountain town early on Tuesday.
▪ Again, the tribe had raided a neighbouring village, inflicting many casualties.
▷ launch an attack/mount an attack /ˌlɔːntʃ ən əˈtæk, ˌmaʊnt-/ also launch an invasion/mount an invasion /ˌlɔ;ŋtʃ ən ɪnˈveɪʒ ə n, ˌmaʊnt-/ [verb phrase]
to start to attack an enemy’s army, country, or property, in a planned way :
▪ A fresh attack was mounted on the last remaining rebels.
▪ The Huns, normally a peaceful race, launched an invasion into Europe via the Caspian Steppes.
▷ storm /stɔːʳm/ [transitive verb]
to suddenly attack a city or building that is well-defended by getting inside it and taking control :
▪ Heavily armed and masked gunmen stormed an ammunitions store in Co. Mayo.
▪ an attempt by government forces to storm the hijacked airplane
▷ besiege /bɪˈsiːdʒ/ [transitive verb]
to surround a city or building with soldiers in order to stop the people inside from getting out or from receiving supplies such as food and water :
▪ The capital has been besieged by the opposition militia for two months now.
▪ Federal agents besieged the compound in Waco in 1993.
besieged [adjective only before noun]
besieged city/town/castle etc
▪ Hundreds of Serbs managed to flee the besieged city.
4. to attack someone because they attacked you
▷ retaliate /rɪˈtælieɪt/ [intransitive verb]
to attack someone because they have attacked you first :
▪ The government wants peace, but will not hesitate to retaliate if attacked.
▪ She decided not to retaliate physically, because it would put her in even greater danger.
retaliate by doing something
▪ When police tried to push back the crowd, a few youths retaliated by throwing stones at them.
▪ Later that day, whites retaliated by killing a young black delivery driver.
retaliate against
▪ He has promised to take tough measures to retaliate against extremists.
retaliate for
because of what someone has done to you
▪ In an interview, Tyson claimed he was retaliating for Holyfield’s attack on him.
retaliate with
▪ I fully accept that it was wrong of the guards to retaliate with blows and kicks.
retaliation /rɪˌtæliˈeɪʃ ə n/ [uncountable noun]
▪ America stopped short of military retaliation, but issued a strong statement condemning the invasion.
▪ the threat of retaliation
in retaliation (for something)
▪ They plotted the attack in retaliation for the attack by federal agents on the camp.
▪ Three inmates were killed in retaliation.
▷ counter-attack /ˈkaʊntərəˌtæk/ [countable noun]
an attack that an army makes after it has been attacked by an enemy :
▪ The enemy had started a vicious counter-attack, forcing the French into the woods.
launch/mount a counter-attack
▪ Allied forces were regrouping in order to launch a counter-attack.
counter-attack [intransitive verb]
▪ Once the harvest was in, the peasants were free to counter-attack.
▷ hit back/strike back /ˌhɪt ˈbæk, ˌstraɪk ˈbæk/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
to attack a person or army that has attacked you first, especially in order to try and show that you are very strong and cannot be defeated :
▪ The tanks and artillery will hit back hard if the ceasefire is broken.
hit back/strike back with
▪ Less than 24 hours after this cross-border raid, army jets hit back with a devastating air strike.
hit back/strike back at
▪ He suspected that the US would take the opportunity to strike back at the Axis forces.
▷ tit-for-tat /ˌtɪt fəʳ ˈtæt/ [adjective only before noun]
tit-for-tat killings/murders/response etc
a killing, reaction etc done because someone has done something similar to someone in your group :
▪ Any hope of peace is destroyed by these endless tit-for-tat attacks.
▪ The murder is thought to have been a tit-for-tat response by the Mafia to an earlier gangland killing.
5. an attack against a person
▷ attack /əˈtæk/ [countable noun]
when someone uses violence against another person and tries to hurt them :
▪ The attack took place as she was walking home.
racial/sexual/physical attack
▪ Fong did not suffer a physical attack, but he was humiliated by the three men.
▪ victims of racial attacks
▪ There was no indication of a sexual attack.
attack on
▪ They finally caught the gang responsible for the armed attacks on foreigners in Dakar.
▪ New statistics show a further increase in attacks on women.
vicious/nasty/unprovoked etc attack
▪ Police say it was a particularly nasty attack.
▪ a number of brutal and unprovoked attacks on gays
▷ mugging /ˈmʌgɪŋ/ [countable noun]
an attack on someone in a public place such as a street, in order to steal something from them :
▪ Preston was a victim of a mugging three months ago.
a spate/series of muggings
several muggings in a short period of time
▪ Police are investigating a spate of muggings that took place on the campus last week.
▷ assault /əˈsɔːlt/ [countable/uncountable noun]
an attack on someone - use this especially when talking about the crime of attacking someone :
▪ The charges against the prisoner include criminal damage and assault.
indecent/sexual/violent assault
▪ He was convicted of adultery and indecent assault.
▪ the problem of domestic violence and sexual assault within the home
assault on
▪ Assaults on public transportation workers have doubled in the last 10 years.
6. a military attack
▷ attack /əˈtæk/ [countable noun]
when a military force attacks a place or country, using weapons, aircraft, soldiers etc :
▪ The attack began at dawn.
▪ The caller warned that the attacks will continue until the demands are met.
attack on
▪ missile attacks on civilian targets
naval/air/artillery/terrorist etc attack
▪ The city is exposed and vulnerable to air attack.
▪ Eleven people were injured in a rocket attack on Sunday night.
launch/mount an attack
▪ International terrorists have mounted an attack aimed at disrupting the huge tourist industry here.
go on the attack
start to attack someone or something
▪ To my horror, the soldiers went on the attack, killing men, women and children indiscriminately.
▷ invasion /ɪnˈveɪʒ ə n/ [countable noun]
when an army from one country enters another country and tries to control it :
▪ The fear of an invasion by rebels is always present.
foreign/military etc invasion
▪ Some analysts fear that increasing desperation could lead to a military invasion of the country’s southern neighbors.
▪ the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia
▷ raid /reɪd/ [countable noun]
a short quick attack by a group of soldiers, planes, or ships on a place that belongs to an enemy :
military/bombing/aerial etc raid
▪ He led a commando raid in the desert.
▪ a surprise raid
▪ NATO bombing raids
air raid
one carried out by planes dropping bombs
▪ Some of the most beautiful architecture in the city was destroyed in the air raids.
▪ air-raid sirens
raid on/against
▪ Sixty people are thought to have been killed in the raid on the village just west of the capital.
▪ John Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry
▪ As a teenager, he was involved in a raid against a village of Omaha Indians.
▷ ambush /ˈæmbʊʃ/ [countable noun]
a sudden attack by a group of soldiers who have been hiding and waiting for someone :
be killed/shot etc in an ambush
▪ Six or seven of the passengers were killed in an ambush on the narrowest part of the road.
lie/wait in ambush
wait in order to ambush
▪ They moved slowly, knowing that in the next clump of trees enemy soldiers might be lying in ambush.
▷ assault /əˈsɔːlt/ [countable noun]
a military attack to take control of a place controlled by the enemy :
aerial/military/naval etc assault
▪ a massive armed assault on the city
assault on/against
▪ Only a successful assault on the rebels’ headquarters could have ended the civil war.
▷ strike /straɪk/ [countable noun]
a sudden attack, especially one from the air, using bombs :
▪ The rebels launched a retaliatory strike.
air/nuclear/missile etc strike
▪ The bomb strike took place on a camp near Krek.
▪ nuclear strike capability
▷ offensive /əˈfensɪv/ [countable noun]
a planned attack involving large forces and often taking place over several weeks or months, especially as part of a plan to win a war :
military/nuclear/air etc offensive
▪ The great military offensive had failed, and it seemed victory was escaping them.
▪ The rebel offensive resumed on Thursday, leaving 12 dead and many injured.
launch/mount an offensive
▪ Government troops launched an offensive against UNITA positions in the north.
offensive on/against
▪ The President announced a counter-offensive on the rebels.
▷ aggression /əˈgreʃ ə n/ [uncountable noun]
the act of attacking a country, especially when that country has not attacked first - used especially in political contexts :
▪ The invasion was condemned as ‘blatant aggression’ by the British Prime Minister.
▪ The President promised to use all his powers to prevent further aggression.
armed/foreign/military etc agression
▪ another example of communist aggression
aggression against
▪ As our older generation knows from experience, unchecked aggression against a small nation is a prelude to international disaster.
an act of aggression
▪ Any eastward expansion would be regarded by the government as an act of aggression.
7. a person or place that attacks another person or country
▷ attacker also assailant formal /əˈtækəʳ, əˈseɪlənt/ [countable noun]
someone who attacks another person :
▪ Unknown assailants stabbed a British tourist and wounded his wife.
▪ The attacker fled empty-handed.
your/his/her etc attacker
the person who attacked you/him/her etc
▪ Her attacker is described as white, in his mid-fifties and with medium-length dark hair.
▪ Mrs Lundy’s alleged assailants were aquitted of all charges.
▷ aggressor /əˈgresəʳ/ [countable noun]
a country that attacks another country, especially when that country has not already attacked first :
▪ The situation is complex and it is not easy to determine exactly who is the aggressor in this case.
military/foreign etc aggressor
▪ a call for united action against the foreign aggressor
▪ The USSR scored valuable propaganda points against its Western aggressors.
8. a person or place that is attacked
▷ victim /ˈvɪktɪm, ˈvɪktəm/ [countable noun]
someone who has been attacked :
▪ In most sexual offences, the attacker is known to the victim.
▪ The victim was shaken, but physically unharmed.
murder/rape/torture etc victim
▪ The program was grossly insensitive to Holocaust victims.
▪ One of the bombing victims was dead on arrival in hospital.
victim of
▪ She had been the victim of a particularly vicious attack.
▪ victims of domestic abuse
▷ target /ˈtɑːʳgɪt, ˈtɑːʳgət/ [countable noun]
a person or place that someone, especially a military group, has chosen to attack :
▪ The bomb missed its target by several kilometres.
military/civilian target
▪ The GIA continued its attacks on civilian targets.
target zone/area
▪ When the plane gets to the target area, it drops the missile and returns to base.
target of
▪ The Institution has been the target of terrorist attack several times.
▪ The commonly used roads are the targets of heavy fire.
prime target
very obvious and probable target
▪ Holding a US passport makes these tourists a prime target for terrorists.
▷ be under attack /biː ˌʌndər əˈtæk/ [verb phrase]
if an army or place is under attack, it is being attacked :
▪ The rebels are under attack and may surrender at any time.
be under attack from
▪ At first, he thought the Pacific Fleet was under attack from German forces.
come under attack
begin to be attacked
▪ We were united by a sense of national pride when our country came under attack.
9. easy to attack
▷ vulnerable /ˈvʌln ə rəb ə l/ [adjective]
easy to attack, damage, or enter by force :
▪ His victims are vulnerable young women.
▪ Ground floor windows are particularly vulnerable and secure locks should be fitted.
vulnerable to
▪ The tanks’ positions made them vulnerable to enemy gunfire.
▷ sitting duck /ˌsɪtɪŋ ˈdʌk/ [countable noun]
someone who is very easy to attack because they cannot move or they can only move very slowly :
▪ The troops in their bunkers were sitting ducks for enemy missiles.
▪ We were like sitting ducks, our only defense a small shed surrounded by a few concrete blocks.
▷ be an easy target /biː ən ˌiːzi ˈtɑːʳgə̇t/ [verb phrase]
to be very easy to see or find and therefore easy to attack :
▪ I knew that in our current position, we were an all-too-easy target for thieves and bandits.
make an easy target
▪ Women living alone make easy targets for robbers.