attack

attack [n1] physical assault advance, aggression, assailing, assailment, barrage, blitz, blitzkrieg, charge, defilement, dirty deed*, drive, encounter, encroachment, foray, incursion, initiative, inroad, intervention, intrusion, invasion, irruption, mugging, offense, offensive, onrush, onset, onslaught, outbreak, push, raid, rape, rush, skirmish, storming, strike, thrust, violation, volley; concept 86 —Ant. aid, defense, flight, protection, resistance, retreat, shelter, shield, support, surrender, sustenance attack [n2] verbal assault abuse, aggression, belligerence, blame, calumny, censure, combativeness, criticism, denigration, denunciation, impugnment, libel, pugnacity, slander, vilification; concepts 52,54 —Ant. defense, reprisal, resistance, retreat, submission, surrender attack [n3] sudden dysfunction or disorder access, ailment, bout, breakdown, convulsion, disease, failure, fit, illness, paroxysm, relapse, seizure, spasm, spell, stroke, throe; concept 308 —Ant. health attack [v1] assault physically advance, aggress, ambush, assail, assault, bash, bat, bean*, beat, beset, besiege, biff*, blast, blister, boff*, bombard, boot*, bop*, brain*, bust, charge, chop down, clip, clock*, club, combat, cook*, harm, hit, hurt, infiltrate, invade, jump, kick, knock block off*, knock cold*, knock for a loop*, larrup*, lay siege to, light into*, molest, mug, overwhelm, pounce upon, punch, raid, rush, set upon, slog, soak, stab, storm, strike, take the offensive, turn on, wallop*, whop*; concept 86 —Ant. aid, defend, protect, resist, retreat, shelter, shield, submit, support, surrender, sustain attack [v2] assault verbally abuse, berate, blame, blitz, censure, criticize, impugn, jump down one’s throat*, jump on one’s case*, lay into, malign, refute, reprove, revile, shoot down*, stretch, vilify; concepts 52,54 —Ant. defend, resist, submit, withstand attack [v3] set to work buckle down*, deal with, dive into, plunge into, set to, start in on, tackle, take up, tear into*; concept 112 —Ant. be lazy, slough off