• take aggressive military action against (a place or enemy forces) with weapons or armed force

Synonyms: begin an assault, charge, pounce, strike, begin hostilities, ambush

• criticize or oppose fiercely and publicly

Synonyms: criticize, censure, condemn, castigate, chastise, lambast, pillory, savage, find fault with, fulminate against, abuse

• begin to deal with (a problem or task) in a determined and vigorous way

Synonyms: attend to, address, see to, deal with, grapple with, confront, direct one's attention to, focus on, concentrate on, apply oneself to

• (in sport) make a forceful attempt to score a goal or point or otherwise gain an advantage against an opposing team or player

• (of a reagent or reactive species) approach and interact with (an atom, group, or bond in a molecule), thereby breaking a bond or forming a new bond

• an aggressive and violent act against a person or place

Synonyms: assault, onslaught, offensive, strike, blitz, raid, sortie, sally, storming, charge, rush, drive, push, thrust, invasion, incursion, inroad

• an instance of fierce public criticism or opposition

Synonyms: criticism, censure, rebuke, admonition, admonishment, reprimand, reproval

• a sudden short bout of an illness or stress

Synonyms: fit, seizure, spasm, convulsion, paroxysm, outburst, flare-up

• (in sport) an aggressive attempt to score a goal or point or otherwise gain an advantage