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

During the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Egypt and other Arab nations mounted a surprise attack on Israel and scored early victories.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 5, 2025

A few voices in the Israeli media have compared the impact of the air strikes on Hezbollah's capacity to wage war to Operation Focus, Israel’s surprise attack on Egypt in June 1967.

From BBC • Sep. 24, 2024

This would put most of its missiles out of range and make an Oct. 7-style surprise attack much less likely.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 6, 2024

At that very moment, more than a quarter million Chinese soldiers massed on the Chinese side of the Yalu, preparing a surprise attack in support of their Communist neighbor.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau