air raid

noun

: an attack by armed airplanes on a surface target

—usually hyphenated when used attributively

air-raid shelter

Examples of air raid in a Sentence

Much of the city was destroyed in an air raid.

Recent Examples on the Web

Mary Josephine Booth was familiar with the sound of the air raid sirens by then. — April White, JSTOR Daily, 23 Sep. 2026

Any time an air raid alert sounded, events were suspended immediately as guests, designers, and teams took shelter. — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 18 Sep. 2026

The hospital said afterwards that hundreds of patients and staff were evacuated when the air raid alarm was raised indicating an incoming an strike. — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026

But within seconds, an air raid alert sounded, and the crowd dispersed. — ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for air raid

• afraid
• allayed
• arcade
• arrayed
• assayed
• barmaid
• betrayed
• blockade
• bridesmaid
• brigade
• brocade
• buffeted

Kids Definition

air raid

noun

: an attack by armed airplanes on a surface target