first strike

noun

: a preemptive nuclear attack
first-strike adjective

Examples of first strike in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Ukraine carried out its first strike using the weapons inside Russia on Tuesday. Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 21 Nov. 2024 The decision came after Ukraine’s first strike on Russian territory with U.S.-supplied long-range weapons and President Joe Biden authorized the provision of antipersonnel land mines to Ukraine to help fight off Moscow's forces. Daryna Mayer, NBC News, 20 Nov. 2024 Ukraine conducted its first strike using ATACMS inside Russia on Tuesday, hitting a munitions storage facility near the western Russia city of Karachev in the Bryansk region. Matt Robison, Newsweek, 20 Nov. 2024 The labor standoff — the first strike by Boeing machinists since an eight-week walkout in 2008 — was the latest setback in a volatile year for the aerospace giant. David Koenig, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for first strike 

Word History

First Known Use

1956, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of first strike was in 1956

Dictionary Entries Near first strike

Cite this Entry

“First strike.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/first%20strike. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!