as in attempts
an attack in which a place is bombed by military airplanes
Much of the city was destroyed in an air raid.
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Recent Examples of air raids
The location served as a resource for residents during World War II, sharing information about air raids, bomb shelters and civilian and military defense jobs.
—
Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
In the latest fighting, Israel has launched blistering air raids across Lebanon, killing more than 1,000 people — mostly outside of the border area — and displacing over a million.
—ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
Beyond the capital, CNN staff in northern Iran also reported major nighttime air raids.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 11 Mar. 2026
The family originally lived in Liverpool, but she was born in Blackpool, about 50 miles away, after Lillian was sent there while pregnant due to the risk of air raids in World War II.
—Adam England, PEOPLE, 15 Nov. 2025
Midnight curfews, daily air raids and wounded veterans on the runway put the reality of war front and centre.
—Finbarr Toesland, Robb Report, 24 Sep. 2025
Grygorova, 19, who lives in Kharkiv, a city near the Ukrainian-Russian border, said despite the constant rocket attacks, drones, air raids, and explosions, her thoughts are always with the people suffering through the continuous combat.
—Terry Collins, USA Today, 16 Aug. 2025
Starting in the spring, Russia ramped up the intensity of its air raids against Ukraine, which reached a monthly record in July of 6,443 missiles and drones.
—Simon Shuster, Time, 8 Aug. 2025
Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
In the latest fighting, Israel has launched blistering air raids across Lebanon, killing more than 1,000 people — mostly outside of the border area — and displacing over a million.
—ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
Beyond the capital, CNN staff in northern Iran also reported major nighttime air raids.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 11 Mar. 2026
The family originally lived in Liverpool, but she was born in Blackpool, about 50 miles away, after Lillian was sent there while pregnant due to the risk of air raids in World War II.
—Adam England, PEOPLE, 15 Nov. 2025
Midnight curfews, daily air raids and wounded veterans on the runway put the reality of war front and centre.
—Finbarr Toesland, Robb Report, 24 Sep. 2025
Grygorova, 19, who lives in Kharkiv, a city near the Ukrainian-Russian border, said despite the constant rocket attacks, drones, air raids, and explosions, her thoughts are always with the people suffering through the continuous combat.
—Terry Collins, USA Today, 16 Aug. 2025
Starting in the spring, Russia ramped up the intensity of its air raids against Ukraine, which reached a monthly record in July of 6,443 missiles and drones.
—Simon Shuster, Time, 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for air raids
Noun
-
Capela, a center in his 12th NBA season, made the first 3-pointer of his career early in the fourth quarter after missing the first seven attempts of his career, including his first try Sunday night.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Such desperate attempts at grandiosity evoke empty vanity, clutching at physical monuments to prove a greatness that history has not yet conferred.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Service members could face ambushes en route, and specialized units would need to extract the uranium.—
Jonathan Lemire,
The Atlantic,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Once an octopus ambushes and bites its prey, the venom in its saliva paralyzes the prey, allowing the octopus to consume it.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
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This, and the hospital’s security, had been a point of contention in recent years after a number of assaults on staff and forensic patients (usually kept there through the courts) escaping the hospital grounds, requiring a police response.—
Peter Currier,
Boston Herald,
12 Apr. 2026
-
As of April 5, assaults in the city’s subway system were down by 6%, from 171 this time last year to 160.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
When will these onslaughts of cold end?—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Leading the effort is the ATF National Response Team, a specialized rapid-response force that responds to the nation’s highest-profile bombings, explosions and arson, including the 9/11 World Trade Center attack and the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.—
Rebekah Riess,
CNN Money,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Air raids.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/air%20raids. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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