first strike

noun

: a preemptive nuclear attack
first-strike adjective

Examples of first strike in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Natanz The first strikes severely damaged Iran’s largest uranium enrichment center, at Natanz, about 140 miles south of Tehran. Bora Erden, New York Times, 18 June 2025 The violence escalated sharply after Israel launched the first strikes last Friday, targeting key Iranian military sites. Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025 June 12 Israel conducted the first strikes of an air campaign targeting Iran's nuclear program and leadership at 11 p.m. ET, according to The Critical Threats Project (CTP) at the American Enterprise Institute and the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 18 June 2025 The first strike shut down the facility, which supplied Ukrainian troops in the central and eastern parts of the country, and damaged much of its infrastructure. Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 15 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for first strike

Word History

First Known Use

1956, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of first strike was in 1956

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“First strike.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/first%20strike. Accessed 29 Jun. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!