banzai attack

noun

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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web 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 example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'banzai attack.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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 25 Mar. 2023.

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