assailant
noun
as·sail·ant
ə-ˈsā-lənt 
plural assailants
: a person who attacks someone violently
an assault by an unknown assailant
She could identify the assailant and his two accomplices, and she wanted to press charges.—
Jennifer Baumgardner
Jennifer BaumgardnerDetectives speculated that she may have been punched on the chin, perhaps knocked unconscious by her assailant.—Joseph Wambaugh
Joseph WambaughExamples of assailant in a Sentence
the darkness prevented me from getting a good look at my assailant
Recent Examples on the Web
The assailant hopped a fence at the governor's mansion, broke windows, entered the residence and deployed Molotov cocktails made from beer bottles and gasoline, police said.
—Jared Kofsky, ABC News, 18 Apr. 2025
The assailant pulled a knife while the plane was in air, demanding the domestic flight take him out of the country, Police Commissioner Chester Williams told journalists.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 17 Apr. 2025
No one was in custody, and police did not have descriptions of the vehicle or the assailant.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 14 Apr. 2025
The assailants got into a vehicle and left the scene before officers arrived and are still being sought.
—Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for assailant
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Jared Kofsky, ABC News, 18 Apr. 2025
The assailant pulled a knife while the plane was in air, demanding the domestic flight take him out of the country, Police Commissioner Chester Williams told journalists.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 17 Apr. 2025
No one was in custody, and police did not have descriptions of the vehicle or the assailant.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 14 Apr. 2025
The assailants got into a vehicle and left the scene before officers arrived and are still being sought.
—Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for assailant
Cite this Entry
“Assailant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assailant. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
assailant
noun
as·sail·ant
ə-ˈsā-lənt
: a person who commits criminal assault
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