v. 1
To apply violent force to someone or something.
This species of snake will only attack humans if it feels threatened.
v. 2
To aggressively challenge a person, idea, etc., with words (particularly in newspaper headlines, because it typesets into less space than "criticize" or similar).
She published an article attacking the recent pay cuts.
n. 1
An attempt to cause damage, injury to, or death of an opponent or enemy.
n. 2
An attempt to cause damage, injury to, or death of an opponent or enemy. Any of several specific maneuvers, skills, or special abilities that a character can use to inflict damage against opponents.

Related words

Word family: attach
Phrases: plan of attack heart-attack angle of attack attack aircraft asthma attack attack plan attack surface time attack

Forms

Plural: attacks → onslaughts, invasions, aggressions, onrushes…
Past participle: attacked
e.g. attacked → assaulted, assailed, striked, stormed…

or Attack?

To attack is to begin hostilities of any kind.

J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

3 letters: hit¹, fit¹, wap
4 letters: fire², rush¹, raid¹, bout¹, flak¹
5 letters: check¹, round¹, drive¹, storm¹, abuse², pound¹, blast¹, spike¹, siege¹, beset², snipe¹
6 letters: charge¹, access², strike¹, affect², combat², engage², stroke¹, tackle², savage², thrust¹, invade², pounce¹, assail², onrush
7 letters: attempt², assault², descent², censure², bombard², besiege², aggress²
8 letters: approach², invasion³, denounce²
9 letters: criticize³, criticise, onslaught²
10 letters: aggression³, visitation⁴, assailment

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (fire² = 2 syllables).