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Synonyms

air raid

American  

noun

  1. a raid by aircraft, especially for bombing a particular area.

air raid British  

noun

    1. an attack by hostile aircraft

    2. ( as modifier )

      an air-raid shelter
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • air raider noun
  • air-raid adjective

Etymology

Origin of air raid

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

An air raid alert was triggered during the night across the entire country.

From Barron's • Mar. 7, 2026

In the commercial hub of Tel Aviv, Orit Baisa, 42, rushed to an underground car park as soon as he heard the air raid sirens warning of an incoming missile barrage.

From Barron's • Feb. 28, 2026

The Foreign Office told British nationals in four Gulf states to seek shelter after explosions and air raid sirens were heard in Qatar's capital, Doha.

From BBC • Feb. 28, 2026

John Henry, 71, from Northampton, who is on holiday with his family, was at a shopping centre when they got an air raid alert.

From BBC • Feb. 28, 2026

"My parents won't let me out every night. They're afraid I'll get caught in an air raid."

From "The Boy Who Dared" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.