surgical strike

noun

: a carefully planned military attack that does not damage the surrounding area

Examples of surgical strike in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Israel quickly responded with a surgical strike against an air-defense facility near Isfahan, exposing the IRGC’s vulnerabilities not far from multiple nuclear facilities and deterring Tehran, at least temporarily, from another direct strike on Israel. —

Ali Vaez, Foreign Affairs, 11 Oct. 2024 The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are now directing a surgical strike at the Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza, targeting Hamas terrorists and commanders who were hiding therein. —

Andrew Stein, New York Daily News, 21 Mar. 2024 Assuming the worst about Washington's intentions, Tehran is likely to overreact to even a surgical strike against its nuclear facilities. —

Colin H. Kahl, Foreign Affairs, 1 Mar. 2012 Even a surgical strike risks triggering massive retaliation on Seoul. —

John Delury, Foreign Affairs, 5 Apr. 2015 Whoever did this did a surgical strike against the Hamas leadership. —

Timothy H.j. Nerozzi Fox News, Fox News, 2 Jan. 2024

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“Surgical strike.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surgical%20strike. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024.

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