# Can you commit battery without commiting assault?

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-commit-battery-without-commiting-assault/350806
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [April 1, 2006, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-commit-battery-without-commiting-assault/350806 "2006-04-01T03:21:38Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
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### Author: ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2006, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-commit-battery-without-commiting-assault/350806/2 "2006-04-01T03:31:25Z")

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Hitting someone unexpectedly from behind, or while the victim is unconscious or asleep, are common examples of battery with no threat beforehand.

However, assault is not always defined as an explicit “threat”. Sometimes it is defined as the attempt, successful or not, to commit battery.

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