approach and attack share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. approach means “ideas or actions intended to deal with a problem or situation”. attack means “(military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons)”. attack is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/əˈpɹoʊtʃ/
1.n.ideas or actions intended to deal with a problem or situation
“his approach to every problem is to draw up a list of pros and cons”
2.n.the act of drawing spatially closer to something
“the hunter's approach scattered the geese”
3.n.a way of entering or leaving
“he took a wrong turn on the access to the bridge”
/əˈtæk/
1.n.(military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons)
“the attack began at dawn”
2.n.an offensive move in a sport or game
“they won the game with a 10-hit attack in the 9th inning”
3.n.intense adverse criticism
“Clinton directed his fire at the Republican Party”
| approach | attack | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /əˈpɹoʊtʃ/ | /əˈtæk/ |
| Said | uh-PROHCH | uh-TAK |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Letters | 8 | 6 |
| Parts of speech | noun, verb | noun, verb |
| Senses | 14 | 15 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | attack, plan of attack | onslaught, onset, onrush |
Full entry for approach · Full entry for attack · More comparisons