strafe

verb

ˈstrāf How to pronounce strafe (audio)
 especially British  ˈsträf
strafed; strafing

transitive verb

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

Examples of strafe in a Sentence

The planes strafed the town.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
On the fateful December morning, Japanese planes strafed the deck of the Oklahoma, causing the ship to turn over and trapping Hryniewicz and his fellow sailors in its hull. Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 16 May 2024 On November 10, 1945, Allied aircraft bombed and strafed the East Indies city of Surabaya after nationalists killed a British brigadier. Max Hastings, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2013 In December, while the Panay was carrying out the evacuation of Americans from China, Japanese planes bombed and strafed the boat. Richard Goldstein, New York Times, 8 June 2024 People were trapped in the open, incinerated, asphyxiated and strafed with machine-gun fire. Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for strafe 

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1915, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of strafe was in 1915

Dictionary Entries Near strafe

Cite this Entry

“Strafe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strafe. Accessed 9 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

strafe

verb
strafed; strafing
: to fire on at close range and especially with machine guns from low-flying airplanes
strafed the village
strafer noun

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