· (military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons); "the attack began at dawn"

Synonym(s): onslaught, onset, onrush

Hypernym(s): operation, military_operation

· an offensive move in a sport or game; "they won the game with a 10-hit attack in the 9th inning"

Hypernym(s): turn, play

· intense adverse criticism; "Clinton directed his fire at the Republican Party"; "the government has come under attack"; "don't give me any flak"

Synonym(s): fire, flak, flack, blast

Hypernym(s): criticism, unfavorable_judgment

· 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"

Synonym(s): approach, plan_of_attack

Hypernym(s): conceptualization, conceptualisation, formulation

· the act of attacking; "attacks on women increased last year"; "they made an attempt on his life"

Synonym(s): attempt

Hypernym(s): crime, offense, criminal_offense, criminal_offence, offence, law-breaking

· a decisive manner of beginning a musical tone or phrase

Synonym(s): tone-beginning

Hypernym(s): beginning, start, commencement

· a sudden occurrence of an uncontrollable condition; "an attack of diarrhea"

Hypernym(s): affliction

· 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"

Hypernym(s): degeneration, devolution

· strong criticism; "he published an unexpected attack on my work"

Hypernym(s): criticism, unfavorable_judgment

· launch an attack or assault on; begin hostilities or start warfare with; "Hitler attacked Poland on September 1, 1939 and started World War II"; "Serbian forces assailed Bosnian towns all week"

Synonym(s): assail

Hypernym(s): contend, fight, struggle

Antonym(s): defend

· attack in speech or writing; "The editors of the left-leaning paper attacked the new House Speaker"

Synonym(s): round, assail, lash_out, snipe, assault

Hypernym(s): knock, criticize, criticise, pick_apart

· take the initiative and go on the offensive; "The Serbs attacked the village at night"; "The visiting team started to attack"

Synonym(s): aggress

Hypernym(s): act, move

· attack someone physically or emotionally; "The mugger assaulted the woman"; "Nightmares assailed him regularly"

Synonym(s): assail, assault, set_on

· set to work upon; turn one's energies vigorously to a task; "I attacked the problem as soon as I got out of bed"

Hypernym(s): get_down, begin, get, start_out, start, set_about, set_out, commence

· begin to injure; "The cancer cells are attacking his liver"; "Rust is attacking the metal"

Hypernym(s): affect