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.

Since the union’s first strike in 2023, members’ average salary will have increased 54%, Arias said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026

Buck Turgidson, one of the film’s most memorable characters, while agitating the president in the war room for a first strike against the Soviet Union.

From Salon • Mar. 10, 2026

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

From Barron's • Oct. 10, 2025

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 9, 2025

The belief was that a nation could deter a "first strike," in the parlance of nuclear strategists, by making sure that the enemy understood that their strike would never succeed.

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