About The Word Attack

Bay Area Crosswords

Learn about the word Attack to help solve your crossword puzzle. Discover Attack definitions and meaning, origins, synonyms, related terms and more at the free Crossword Dictionary.

Attack

Attack Meaning & Definition
Attack Definition And Meaning

What's The Definition Of Attack?

[n] a decisive manner of beginning a musical tone or phrase
[n] an offensive move in a sport or game; "they won the game with a 10-hit attack in the 9th inning"
[n] the act of attacking; "attacks on women increased last year"; "they made an attempt on his life"
[n] ideas or actions intended to deal with a problem or situation; "his approach to every problem is to draw up a list of pros and cons"; "an attack on inflation"; "his plan of attack was misguided"
[n] an offensive against and enemy (using weapons); "the attack began at dawn"
[n] strong criticism; "he published an unexpected attack on my work"
[n] intense adverse criticism; "Clinton directed his fire at the Republican Party"; "the government has come under attack"; "don't give me any flak"
[n] the onset of a corrosive or destructive process (as by a chemical agent); "the film was sensitive to attack by acids"; "open to attack by the elements"
[n] a sudden occurrence of an uncontrollable condition; "an attack of diarrhea"
[v] begin to injure; "The cancer cells are attacking his liver"; "Rust is attacking the metal"
[v] set to work upon; turn one's energies vigorously to a task; "I attacked the problem as soon as I got out of bed"
[v] attack verbally, in speech or writing; "The editors of the left-leaning paper attacked the new House Speaker"
[v] take the initiative and go on the offensive; "The Serbs attacked the village at night"; "The visiting team started to attack"
[v] launch an attack or assault on; begin hostilities with, as in warfare; "Hitler attacked Poland on September 1, 1939 and started World War II"; "Serbian forces assailed Bosnian towns all week"
[v] attack someone physically or emotionally; "The mugger assaulted the woman"; "Nightmares assailed him regularly"

Synonyms | Synonyms for Attack: aggress | approach | assail | assault | assault | attempt | blast | fire | flack | flak | lash out | onrush | onset | onslaught | plan of attack | round | set on | snipe | tone-beginning

Related Terms | Find terms related to Attack: abdominal epilepsy | abuse | accept | access | acquired epilepsy | action | activated epilepsy | activation | affect | affect epilepsy | affection | aggression | aggressiveness | ailment | akinetic epilepsy | algorithm | all-out war | ambush | amok | apoplexy | appeal to arms | approach | armed combat | armed conflict | arrangement | arrest | articulation | assail | assailing | assailment | assault | assume | attack | attempt | autonomic epilepsy | barbarize | batter | battering | battle | begin | beleaguer | bellicosity | belligerence | belligerency | berate | berating | beset | besiege | bitter words | blackening | blister | blitz | blockade | blockage | bloodshed | blueprint | blueprinting | bout | brutalize | buckle down | buckle to | burn | bushwhack | butcher | butchery | calculation | cardiac epilepsy | carry on | castigate | censure | challenge | charge | charting | chauvinism | citation | clonic spasm | clonus | combat | combativeness | come at | come down on | complaint | conception | condemn | contrivance | contumely | convulsion | corrode | corrosion | cortical epilepsy | course | crack down on | cramp | criminate | criticism | criticize | cry out against | cry out on | cry shame upon | cursive epilepsy | declare war | decompose | decrial | decry | defy | delivery | denigrate | denigration | denounce | denunciation | deprecate | deprecation | descend on | descend upon | descent | design | destroy | destruction | device | devour | diatribe | disease | disorder | disorderliness | disparage | disparagement | disposition | dissolve | diurnal epilepsy | dive into | draw first blood | drive | eat | eclampsia | embark in | embark upon | encompass | endeavor | engage in | engage in battle | enter on | enter upon | enterprise | enunciation | envisagement | epilepsia | epilepsia gravior | epilepsia major | epilepsia minor | epilepsia mitior | epilepsia nutans | epilepsia tarda | epilepsy | epitasis | erode | erosion | excoriate | execration | fall | fall into | fall on | fall to | fall upon | falling sickness | fashion | fay | fever | fight | fighting | figuring | fit | focal epilepsy | foray | forcible seizure | foresight | forethought | form | frenzy | furor | fury | fustigate | game | gang up on | get busy | get cracking | get going | get under way | get with it | go about | go at | go for | go in for | go into | go on | go to it | go upon | grand mal | graphing | grip | ground plan | guidelines | guise | hammer | harass | hard words | harry | haute mal | have at | hit | hit like lightning | hop to it | hostilities | hot war | hysterical epilepsy | ictus | idea | implicate | implication | impugn | impugnment | incriminate | incrimination | inculpate | inculpation | incursion | infect | inroad | intention | invade | invasion | invective | inveigh against | invest | involve | involvement | irrupt | Jacksonian epilepsy | jawing | jeremiad | jingoism | jump | jump to it | killing | la guerre | land on | larval epilepsy | laryngeal epilepsy | laryngospasm | lash | latent epilepsy | launch forth | launch into | lay about | lay about one | lay at | lay hands on | lay into | lay on | lay waste | laying waste | layout | levy war on | light into | line | line of action | lines | lineup | lockjaw | long-range plan | loot | looting | make war on | malign | manner | manner of working | mapping | massacre | master plan | matutinal epilepsy | maul | means | menstrual epilepsy | method | methodology | might of arms | militarization | military operations | MO | mobilization | mode | mode of operation | mode of procedure | modus operandi | move into | mug | murderous insanity | musicogenic epilepsy | muster | myoclonous epilepsy | nocturnal epilepsy | obstreperousness | occlusion | offense | offensive | onset | onslaught | open hostilities | open war | operations research | order | organization | orgasm | outbreak | paroxysm | petit mal | philippic | phonation | physiologic epilepsy | pillage | pillaging | pitch in | pitch into | plan | planning | planning function | plunge into | pounce upon | pound | practice | prearrangement | press | procedure | proceed to | proceeding | process | program | program of action | pronunciation | psychic epilepsy | psychokinesia | psychomotor epilepsy | pugnacity | push | rage | raid | ramp | rampage | rant | rape | rating | rationalization | rave | reflex epilepsy | resort to arms | revile | revilement | riot | rioting | roar | roast | Rolandic epilepsy | rotatoria | routine | ruin | rush | sack | sacking | sail into | sally | savage | scarify | scathe | schedule | schema | schematism | schematization | scheme | scheme of arrangement | scorch | screed | seize | seizure | sensory epilepsy | serial epilepsy | set about | set at | set forward | set going | set on | set to | set to work | set upon | setup | sexual climax | shooting war | siege | skin alive | slash | slaughter | sortie | sow chaos | sowing with salt | spasm | spell | square up | start | start in | state of war | stoppage | storm | strategic plan | strategy | strike | strike at | stroke | style | surprise | swoop down on | system | systematization | tack | tackle | tactical plan | tactics | take on | take the offensive | take up | tardy epilepsy | tear | tear around | technique | terrorize | tetanus | tetany | the big picture | the drill | the how | the picture | the sword | the way of | throes | thromboembolism | thrombosis | tirade | tone | tongue-lashing | tonic epilepsy | tonic spasm | torsion spasm | total war | traumatic epilepsy | trismus | trounce | turn | turn on | turn to | ucinate epilepsy | undertake | unruliness | utterance | vandalize | venture upon | vilification | vilify | violate | violation | visitation | vituperation | vocalization | voicing | wade into | war | warfare | warmaking | warmongering | warring | wartime | waste | wasting | way | wise | working plan | wreck

See Also | abuse | act | affect | affliction | anxiety attack | apoplexy | aspersion | assault | avenue | bait | banzai attack | banzai charge | barrage | begin | beginning | beleaguer | beset | besiege | blackguard | blister | blitz | blitz | bomb | bombard | bombardment | bombing | bulldog | bust | calumny | cannonade | cerebrovascular accident | charge | check | circumvent | clapperclaw | claw | commence | commencement | conceptualisation | conceptualization | counterattack | counterattack | countermove | counterstrike | coup de main | crime | criticise | criticism | criticism | criticize | CVA | defamation | degeneration | denigration | desecrate | devolution | dishonor | dishonour | diversion | diversionary attack | fight | fire | firing | fit | fork | formulation | gas | get | ground attack | heart attack | hem in | hit | hysterics | ictus | incursion | invade | jump | law-breaking | military operation | molest | move | occlusion | occupy | operation | outrage | paroxysm | pelt | penetration | pepper | pick apart | pin | play | profane | raid | rape | raptus | ravish | reassail | rip | rubbish | rush | savage | seizure | set | set about | set out | set upon | shout | sic | slander | spot | start | start | start out | storm | strike | strike | stroke | struggle | submarine | surprise | surprise attack | surround | tackle | torpedo | touch | turn | unfavorable judgment | unfavorable judgment | violate | vitriol | whang | whip

Attack In Webster's Dictionary

\At*tack"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Attacked}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Attacking}.] [F. attaquer, orig. another form of attacher to attack: cf. It. attacare to fasten, attack. See {Attach}, {Tack} a small nail.] 1. To fall upon with force; to assail, as with force and arms; to assault. ``Attack their lines.'' --Dryden. 2. To assail with unfriendly speech or writing; to begin a controversy with; to attempt to overthrow or bring into disrepute, by criticism or satire; to censure; as, to attack a man, or his opinions, in a pamphlet. 3. To set to work upon, as upon a task or problem, or some object of labor or investigation. 4. To begin to affect; to begin to act upon, injuriously or destructively; to begin to decompose or waste. On the fourth of March he was attacked by fever. --Macaulay. Hydrofluoric acid . . . attacks the glass. --B. Stewart. Syn: To {Attack}, {Assail}, {Assault}, {Invade}. Usage: These words all denote a violent onset; attack being the generic term, and the others specific forms of attack. To attack is to commence the onset; to assail is to make a sudden and violent attack, or to make repeated attacks; to assault (literally, to leap upon) is to attack physically by a had-to-hand approach or by unlawful and insulting violence; to invade is to enter by force on what belongs to another. Thus, a person may attack by offering violence of any kind; he may assail by means of missile weapons; he may assault by direct personal violence; a king may invade by marching an army into a country. Figuratively, we may say, men attack with argument or satire; they assail with abuse or reproaches; they may be assaulted by severe temptations; the rights of the people may be invaded by the encroachments of the crown.
\At*tack"\, v. i. To make an onset or attack.
\At*tack"\, n. [Cf. F. attaque.] 1. The act of attacking, or falling on with force or violence; an onset; an assault; -- opposed to defense. 2. An assault upon one's feelings or reputation with unfriendly or bitter words. 3. A setting to work upon some task, etc. 4. An access of disease; a fit of sickness. 5. The beginning of corrosive, decomposing, or destructive action, by a chemical agent.

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