Verb
1. attack someone physically or emotionally;
"The mugger assaulted the woman""Nightmares assailed him regularly"2. 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"3. attack in speech or writing;
"The editors of the left-leaning paper attacked the new House Speaker"