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to attack

to attack

71 3.2
To begin working on a task with energy and determination
  • verb
  • /əˈtæk/
translation icon : abordar
  • My goals, simply stated, were to attack the core problems head on.
  • attack the problem

So I lean heavily like I attack vegetables, right.

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Examples

  • But what I'm saying is that we can train people to attack situations in a better way.

  • How else will you invent new antibiotics if not to attack the mechanics of DNA?

    Fiction book (1998)
  • Well, I, I just attack those problems.

  • Just sit back and think about it and attack when ready.

  • We can attack it later.

  • And I also knew in my mind how I would attack their bid.

  • We have not eliminated the deficit, but we have attacked it in a fundamental sense.

    Academic text (1995)
  • One approach, and Wrobel's latest line of research, is to attack the problem holistically.

    Academic text (2009)
  • We need to attack this issue with a fresh perspective to find a solution.

  • It's important to attack each challenge with enthusiasm and creativity.

Synonyms

to approach
vsto attack
159 2.6

To begin to deal with a problem or task

is more energetic and determined rather than calm and measured

Antonyms

773 3.1

Leave someone or something behind permanently and without care

Idioms

105 3.5

Being hurt physically or strongly criticized by others

Compounds

heart attack
  • Specialized
433 2.0

A sudden serious illness when blood cannot reach the heart

110 3.9

A sudden violent act against civilians to make people afraid and reach political or religious goals

70 4.3

A sudden time of very strong fear with fast heartbeat and trouble breathing

A sudden time of very strong fear with a fast heart and shaking

14 2.5

A sudden time when breathing becomes very difficult and you make a high whistling sound

13 3.7

An attack by military planes on the enemy

A sudden action that begins without warning to catch people not ready

A set of planned actions to solve a problem or reach a goal

8 4.1

A dog trained to attack or guard on command

6 5.5

An attack using bacteria, viruses or poisons to harm people, animals and crops

An attack by soldiers on land against enemy positions

attack submarine
  • Specialized
2 5.5

A military ship that travels under water to find and destroy enemy ships

angle of attack
  • Specialized
2 7.7

The angle between incoming air and a wing's front-to-back line that affects how the wing lifts

attack aircraft
  • Specialized
1 4.8

A fast military plane that hits enemy targets near the ground

1 5.7

A brief time when part of the brain gets too little blood, causing sudden weakness or vision loss

diversionary attack
  • Specialized
1 7.8

An action by soldiers to draw the enemy's attention away from the main battle

A very strong action to defeat an enemy or opponent using the most force

7.8

An attack using germs or poisons to harm people, animals and food supplies

8.1

A big military ship with a long flat deck that carries and launches fighter planes

A mass attack by soldiers who charge without caring if they are killed

A U.S. military kit that turns a regular bomb dropped from a plane into a precise guided bomb

7.3

A move by an army done before an enemy starts to fight to stop them

spack attack
  • Slang
9.9

A sudden burst of anger or energy because of stress

6.7

An official notice that an enemy will attack soon

How Energetic

to dive in
  • Informal
23 3.7
to attack
71 3.2
to tackle
204 3.4
to start
1.0

Surface Forms

attack infinitive
attacked past
attacked past participle
attacking present participle
attacks third person singular

Etymology

Attack comes from an old word meaning 'attach' or 'go at', and a helpful way to remember the verb in this use is to think of starting a task with energy, as if you 'set on' the work with force and purpose.