first strike

NOUN

tactic in warfare

Synonyms

WEAK

descent on descent upon preemptive nuclear attack preventive strike preventive war surgical strike

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“We didn’t come out hot, and we let them get the first strike in and we were battling for the rest of that game,” Rams defensive tackle Kobie Turner said.

From Los Angeles Times

Mr Nathaniel said the settler knocked the woman unconscious with the first strike of his stick, before hitting her again as she lay on the ground.

From BBC

It was another outstanding effort from the captain after opting to take first strike.

From Barron's

Nine of those have landed since the first strike in early September.

From The Wall Street Journal

He said that maritime traffic in the Southern Caribbean had reduced significantly "since the first strike".

From BBC