26984 words

attacked

6 definitions • 9 examples
1
past simple and past participle of
2
to try to hurt or defeat using violence:

Examples:

He was attacked and seriously injured by a gang of youths.
Army forces have been attacking the town since dawn.
Most wild animals won't attack unless they are provoked.
3
to criticize someone strongly:

Examples:

She wrote an article attacking the judges and their conduct of the trial.
The report attacks the idea of exams for seven and eight-year-olds.
4
If something, such as a disease or a chemical, attacks something, it damages it:

Examples:

AIDS attacks the body's immune system.
My rose bushes are being attacked by aphids.
5
If players in a team attack, they move forward to try to score points, goals, etc.
6
to deal with something quickly and in an effective way:

Examples:

We have to attack these problems now and find some solutions.
The children rushed in and eagerly attacked the food (= quickly started to eat it).

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