first strike

noun

: a preemptive nuclear attack
first-strike
ˈfərs(t)-ˈstrīk How to pronounce first strike (audio)
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.
These are the first strikes Iran has launched toward Israel since a ceasefire was reached in April. — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 7 June 2026 But since the first strikes, the two men have moved in opposite directions, with tensions sometimes spilling out into the open. — Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026 The idea was that the certainty of catastrophic consequences would discourage either side from launching a first strike. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 1 June 2026 And puts the United States in danger of becoming a pariah following the launching of a nuclear first strike. — Steven Andreasen, Twin Cities, 7 June 2026 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

Rhymes for first strike

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Browse Nearby Words

first story
first strike
first-string
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Cite this Entry

“First strike.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/first%20strike. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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