strafe

verb \ ˈstrāf , especially British ˈsträf \

Updated on: 4 May 2018

Definition of strafe

strafed; strafing

: to rake (ground troops, an airfield, etc.) with fire at close range and especially with machine-gun fire from low-flying aircraft

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strafe

noun

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strafer

noun

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Examples of strafe in a Sentence

The planes strafed the town.

Recent Examples of strafe from the Web

The birds will move around the trunk drilling holes that make the trunk look like it’s been strafed by a machine gun.

— neil sperry, star-telegram, "Oak trees bring majesty to the landscape, but they do have their difficulties | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 27 Apr. 2018
Even before Maria strafed the region, a record number of Puerto Ricans were realizing that the declining island might be where their heart is but cannot be where their feet stay.

— author: arelis r. hernandez, Anchorage Daily News, "Exodus from Puerto Rico grows as island struggles to rebound from Hurricane Maria," 7 Mar. 2018
Russian mercenaries were among the hundreds who died as the Americans strafed, bombed and shelled the assault force, Army Brig.

— NBC News, "One tiny corner of the U.S. government pushes back against Russian disinformation," 15 Apr. 2018
Even before Maria strafed the region, a record number of Puerto Ricans were realizing that the declining island might be where their heart is but cannot be where their feet stay.

— author: arelis r. hernandez, Anchorage Daily News, "Exodus from Puerto Rico grows as island struggles to rebound from Hurricane Maria," 7 Mar. 2018
Even before Maria strafed the region, a record number of Puerto Ricans were realizing that the declining island might be where their heart is but cannot be where their feet stay.

— author: arelis r. hernandez, Anchorage Daily News, "Exodus from Puerto Rico grows as island struggles to rebound from Hurricane Maria," 7 Mar. 2018
Even before Maria strafed the region, a record number of Puerto Ricans were realizing that the declining island might be where their heart is but cannot be where their feet stay.

— author: arelis r. hernandez, Anchorage Daily News, "Exodus from Puerto Rico grows as island struggles to rebound from Hurricane Maria," 7 Mar. 2018
Then there are the vehicles, an assortment of speeding, shrieking, stomping death machines that strafe, blast, and claw their way through enemy lines.

— owen duffy, Ars Technica, "Do we really need another Star Wars wargame? Yes, and this is it," 3 Mar. 2018
Fighter jets bombed and strafed the Taliban convoy, pickups exploding in flames one after the next until those remaining eventually turned in retreat.

— michael ames, Newsweek, "Why Is the FBI Trying to Bury a Special Forces War Hero?," 2 Sep. 2015

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

Origin and Etymology of strafe

German Gott strafe England may God punish England, German propaganda slogan during World War I

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First Known Use: 1915

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STRAFE Defined for English Language Learners

strafe

verb

Definition of strafe for English Language Learners

: to attack (something) with machine guns from low-flying airplanes

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strafe

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