banzai attack

noun

: a mass attack by Japanese soldiers in World War II
also : an all-out usually desperate attack

Examples of banzai attack in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The banzai attacks are extremely costly for the Russians, and help to explain why the Russians are losing around 800 troops a day, according to the Ukrainian defense ministry. David Axe, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 The fighting was fierce and ended with a massed banzai attack — the first such all-out charge that Americans would face in the bloody island-hopping campaign. Jesse Leavenworth, courant.com, 11 Nov. 2020 As the tide rose and the Marines finally began to push in, the remaining Japanese troops launched an all-out banzai attack. Jason Daley, Smithsonian, 28 June 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'banzai attack.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1944, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of banzai attack was in 1944

Dictionary Entries Near banzai attack

Cite this Entry

“Banzai attack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/banzai%20attack. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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