Atacó

Atacó is the third-person singular form of the Spanish verb atacar in the preterite (simple past) tense. It denotes a completed action in the past carried out by él, ella, or usted. The verb atacar means to attack, to assault, or to launch an attack; it can refer to physical aggression, an opponent in sports, a military or cyber operation, or a figurative push against a problem or obstacle.

Usage notes: in narratives and reports, atacó is used to describe events that have a definite endpoint. It appears in everyday speech as well as formal writing. The form is part of a regular -ar verb conjugation in the preterite, with a minor orthographic change in the first-person singular of the present tense (yo ataqué) to preserve the hard k sound before e.

Conjugation snapshot (selected forms): yo ataqué; tú atacaste; él/ella/Ud. atacó; nosotros atacamos; vosotros atacasteis; ellos atacaron. The key form atacó is the standard past tense for third-person singular.

Examples:

- El equipo atacó la portería y logró anotar un gol. (The team attacked the goal and managed to score.)

- El ejército atacó al campamento al amanecer. (The army attacked the camp at dawn.)

- El defensor atacó la defensa contraria con una jugada rápida. (The defender attacked the opposing defense with a quick move.)

The term is widely used across Spanish-speaking regions and registers, from sports journalism to everyday conversation, to convey a past action that completed its course.