first strike

noun

: a preemptive nuclear attack

first-strike

ˈfərs(t)-ˈstrīk 

adjective

Examples of first strike in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That first strike against Zverev’s serve will be critical Sunday, with Wimbledon’s grass having baked in the hot sun for a couple of weeks and playing fast. — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 12 July 2026

At the same time, the purity of cocaine has risen marginally since September, the month of the first strike, according to data shared with me by the Street Drug Analysis Lab at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. — Marie-Rose Sheinerman, The Atlantic, 6 July 2026

Manzambi scored a pair of goals in Switzerland’s 4-1 victory, the first strike kickstarting 20 minutes of dramatic, pedal-to-the-metal soccer that all but secured a place in the Round of 32 for the Swiss. — Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 19 June 2026

Messi, who turns 39 next ​week, ⁠didn't share further details on what prompted his emotions after that first strike, which marked one of three to secure his first-ever World Cup hat trick . — Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 17 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1956, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for first strike

• alike
• belike
• birdlike
• catlike
• childlike
• christlike
• deathlike
• dislike
• dreamlike
• friedreich
• godlike
• hairlike