blitz

noun \ ˈblits \

Definition of blitz

1 a :blitzkrieg 1

b (1) :an intensive aerial military campaign

(2) :air raid

2 a :a fast intensive nonmilitary campaign or attack

an advertising blitz

b :a rush of the passer by a defensive linebacker, back, or end in football

—

blitz

verb

See blitz defined for English-language learners

See blitz defined for kids

Examples of blitz in a Sentence

The company is planning an advertising blitz for the new product.
a multimedia blitz of advertisements for the summer blockbuster

Recent Examples of blitz from the Web

Macron kicks off a European Union diplomatic blitz Wednesday seeking nothing less than to reshape the bloc's stance on subjects that range from cheap labor to defense and border controls.

— Bloomberg.com, "Bloomberg’s Week in Pictures," 25 Aug. 2017
Schwartz has seemed to send him on more blitzes than usual.

— jeff mclane, Philly.com, "Eagles vs. Dolphins: What did we learn?," 25 Aug. 2017
Josh Hill was wide open on an intermediate route, and Brees hit him just before the blitz arrived.

— josh katzenstein, NOLA.com, "5 Saints observations from Wednesday's indoor training camp practice," 23 Aug. 2017
Their ability to overwhelm offensive lines allowed the secondary to protect the back end with a full crew -- not needing a corner or safety blitz that would create more susceptibility for big plays in their void.

— michael casagrande, AL.com, "No group lost more from Alabama's 2016 team. How has it restocked?," 18 Aug. 2017
Since becoming chairman in January, Mr. Pai has undertaken a deregulatory blitz, enacting or proposing a wish list of fundamental policy changes advocated by Mr. Smith and his company.

— cecilia kang, eric lipton and sydney ember, New York Times, "How a Conservative TV Giant Is Ridding Itself of Regulation," 14 Aug. 2017
Two businesses working with his family firm to find Chinese investors to help finance their 1 Journal Square project in exchange for a U.S. visa have been using Kushner as part of their promotional blitzes, according to CNN.

— emily jane fox, The Hive, "Jared Kushner’s White House Role Is Still Being Used to Lure Foreign Investors," 21 July 2017
Since Trump’s announcement last month that the U.S. would pull out of the Paris climate pact, Gore has been on a media blitz to reprise his role as the prophet of planetary doom.

— julie kelly, National Review, "Recycled Gore," 17 July 2017
The tournament featured 9 rounds of rapid chess (25 minutes with a 10-second delay) and 18 rounds of blitz (5 minutes with a 3-second delay).

— michael ciamarra, AL.com, "Alabama teen becomes US Chess Master, fast chess prize winners, half time top pick," 2 July 2017

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

First Known Use of blitz

circa 1939

blitz Synonyms

Synonyms

barrage, blitzkrieg, bombardment, cannonade, drumbeat, drumfire, flurry, fusillade, hail, salvo, shower, storm, volley

Related Words

broadside, earful; avalanche, burst, cataclysm, cataract, deluge, discharge, engulfment, flood, flood tide, flush, gush, inundation, outburst, outflow, outpouring, overflow, rash, spate, surge, torrent; current, river, stream, tide; excess, glut, overabundance, overage, overkill, overmuch, oversupply, superabundance, superfluity, surfeit, surplus

Near Antonyms

dribble, drip, trickle

BLITZ Defined for English Language Learners

blitz

noun

Definition of blitz for English Language Learners

: a military attack in which many bombs are dropped from airplanes
: a fast and powerful effort
: a sudden attack or effort to stop or end something

Learn More about blitz

See words that rhyme with blitz Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for blitz Spanish Central: Translation of blitz Nglish: Translation of blitz for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of blitz for Arabic speakers

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blitz

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