| noun | (military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons) “the attack began at dawn” |
| noun | an offensive move in a sport or game “they won the game with a 10-hit attack in the 9th inning” |
| noun | intense adverse criticism “Clinton directed his fire at the Republican Party” |
| noun | 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” |
| noun | the act of attacking “attacks on women increased last year” |
| noun | a decisive manner of beginning a musical tone or phrase |
| noun | a sudden occurrence of an uncontrollable condition “an attack of diarrhea” |
| noun | the onset of a corrosive or destructive process (as by a chemical agent) “the film was sensitive to attack by acids” |
| noun | strong criticism “he published an unexpected attack on my work” |
| verb | launch an attack or assault on; begin hostilities or start warfare with “Hitler attacked Poland on September 1, 1939 and started World War II” |
| verb | attack in speech or writing “The editors of the left-leaning paper attacked the new House Speaker” |
| verb | take the initiative and go on the offensive “The Serbs attacked the village at night” |
| verb | attack someone physically or emotionally “The mugger assaulted the woman” |
| verb | set to work upon; turn one's energies vigorously to a task “I attacked the problem as soon as I got out of bed” |
| verb | begin to injure “The cancer cells are attacking his liver” |
| attack | verb | take the initiative and go on the offensive |
| approach | verb | begin to deal with |
| attack | noun | (military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons) |
| attacker | noun | someone who attacks |
| assailable | adjective | not defended or capable of being defended |
| assailant | noun | someone who attacks |
| assaultive | adjective | disposed to attack |
| assaulter | noun | someone who attacks |
| aggressive | adjective | characteristic of an enemy or one eager to fight |
| aggression | noun | the act of initiating hostilities |
| aggressor | noun | someone who attacks |
| assault | noun | the crime of forcing a woman to submit to sexual intercourse against her will |