Sentence:  In its God-like prime, The Simpsons <WSD>attacked</WSD> well-worn satirical fodder from unexpected angles, finding fresh laughs in the hoariest of subjects. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  To aggressively challenge a person, idea, etc., with words ("particularly in newspaper headlines, because it typesets into less space than "criticize" or similar").