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Synonyms

air strike

American  
Or airstrike

noun

  1. the bombing or strafing of a city, enemy force, etc., by military aircraft.

    The air strike devastated the enemy's submarine base.


Etymology

Origin of air strike

First recorded in 1940–45

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.

Iran has not confirmed the death of its security chief, Ali Larijani, who Israel says it killed in an overnight air strike.

From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026

It also comes after Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, broke his silence for the first time as the country’s supreme leader since succeeding his father, Ali Khamenei, was killed in an air strike.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 13, 2026

An air strike hit a hotel in Hazmieh near Beirut on Wednesday, the first reported Israeli attack on the predominantly Christian area in Beirut's suburbs, near the presidential palace and several embassies.

From Barron's • Mar. 4, 2026

Satellite images viewed by AFP showed partially burned areas near the runway and damaged roofs, suggesting an air strike.

From Barron's • Jan. 30, 2026

An air strike could never be guaranteed to destroy them all.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin