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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.

"It wouldn't be very comfortable but then after all it was an air raid," Reggie said, adding that there were many other people who "did their bit" too.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

The BBC understands the drone - with a two-metre wingspan - had been tracked by radar approaching the base, time enough to sound the air raid warning and to get people out of harm's way.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

But she considers herself lucky, she said, as she would usually head to the public shelter when air raid sirens ring.

From Barron's • Mar. 1, 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

A uniformed air raid warden starts blowing his whistle, windmilling his arm, directing people toward an open doorway in a stone building.

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

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.