attack vs secure

attack

verb
  • To deal with something in a direct way; to set to work upon. 

  • To begin to affect; to act upon injuriously or destructively; to begin to decompose or waste. 

  • To bat aggressively, so as to score runs quickly. 

  • To aim balls at the batsman’s wicket. 

  • To aggressively challenge a person, idea, etc., with words (particularly in newspaper headlines, because it typesets into less space than "criticize" or similar). 

  • (Of a chemical species) To approach a chemical species or bond in order to form a bond with it. 

  • To apply violent force to someone or something. 

  • To set a field, or bowl in a manner designed to get wickets. 

  • To accelerate quickly in an attempt to get ahead of the other riders. 

  • To move forward in an active attempt to score a point, as opposed to trying not to concede. 

noun
  • Any contact with the ball other than a serve or block which sends the ball across the plane of the net. 

  • The amount of time it takes for the volume of an audio signal to go from zero to maximum level (e.g. an audio waveform representing a snare drum hit would feature a very fast attack, whereas that of a wave washing to shore would feature a slow attack). 

  • An attempt to detract from the worth or credibility of, a person, position, idea, object, or thing, by physical, verbal, emotional, or other assault. 

  • The three attackmen on the field or all the attackmen of a team. 

  • A time in which one attacks; the offence of a battle. 

  • The beginning of active operations on anything. 

  • The sudden onset of a disease or condition. 

  • An attempt to cause damage, injury to, or death of opponent or enemy. 

  • Collectively, the bowlers of a cricket side. 

  • An attempt to exploit a vulnerability in a computer system. 

  • The onset of a musical note, particularly with respect to the strength (and duration) of that onset. 

  • An active episode of a chronic or recurrent disease. 

secure

verb
  • To put beyond hazard of losing or of not receiving; to make certain; to assure; frequently with against or from, or formerly with of. 

  • To make fast; to close or confine effectually; to render incapable of getting loose or escaping. 

  • To get possession of; to make oneself secure of; to acquire certainly. 

  • To make safe; to relieve from apprehensions of, or exposure to, danger; to guard; to protect. 

adj
  • Free from the danger of theft; safe. 

  • Certain to be achieved or gained; assured. 

  • Free from attack or danger; protected. 

  • Free from the risk of eavesdropping, interception or discovery; secret. 

  • Confident in opinion; not entertaining, or not having reason to entertain, doubt; certain; sure; commonly used with of. 

  • Free from anxiety or doubt; unafraid. 

  • Free from the risk of financial loss; reliable. 

  • Firm and not likely to fail; stable. 

How often have the words attack and secure occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )