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

The Boston Symphony Orchestra and its musicians ratified a three-year contract Tuesday, avoiding what could have been the first strike in the ensemble's 145-year history. — CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026

The Boston Symphony Orchestra and its musicians ratified a three-year contract Tuesday, avoiding what could have been the first strike in the ensemble’s 145-year history. — ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026

Project Iceworm envisioned constructing thousands of kilometers of tunnels beneath Greenland’s ice sheet to secretly deploy hundreds of nuclear missiles capable of surviving a Soviet first strike. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 6 Aug. 2026

While his first strike was a penalty, the second, as implied by the manager, had Hamza pounce in the box. — Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 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