surprise attack

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.

At the end of this past February, he launched a surprise attack in the middle of negotiations, which were going pretty well.

From Slate • Apr. 6, 2026

Only weeks after the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, the emperor’s soldiers swept south through Malaya, often riding on cheap pushbikes in an assault dubbed “the bicycle blitzkrieg.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 27, 2025

If Venezuela or any other country launched a surprise attack on the United States, I wouldn’t want the courts to monkey-wrench our prompt response.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2025

And from there he made an audacious, surprise attack into Turn One and grabbed the lead, before spending the rest of the race holding the Ferrari at bay with a masterclass of defensive driving.

From BBC • Sep. 15, 2024

The newspaper is splashed with headlines about the surprise attack and the announcement that President Roosevelt has asked Congress to declare war on Japan.

From "X: A Novel" by Ilyasah Shabazz