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onslaught

American  
[on-slawt, awn-] / ˈɒnˌslɔt, ˈɔn- /

noun

  1. an onset, assault, or attack, especially a vigorous one.

onslaught British  
/ ˈɒnˌslɔːt /

noun

  1. a violent attack

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of onslaught

1615–25; < Dutch aanslag a striking, (earlier) attack (equivalent to aan on + slag blow, stroke; akin to slay ), with assimilation to obsolete slaught slaughter

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Season 2 returned nine years later to wrestle with Peak TV’s onslaught.

From Salon • Mar. 26, 2026

Officials and analysts say those wealthy countries were ill-equipped for the drone onslaught, having spent billions on top-notch systems designed to counter high-end missiles.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 15, 2026

Irked residents across Southern California have recently complained to their vector control districts about an onslaught of mosquito activity, many sporting ankle bites to prove it.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026

But Cristian Montano's sending off on the hour mark sparked a Rangers onslaught and they drew level through Emmanuel Fernandez's strike and Mikey Moore's header.

From BBC • Feb. 22, 2026

Breton spring, and a great onslaught of damp invades the coast.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.