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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.

See Examples For:

One wrote on social media that many people had initially believed the blast was caused by an air strike.

From BBC May 31, 2026

An Israeli air strike then damaged the Qasmiye bridge on one of the main routes linking the south to central Lebanon, near the coastal city of Tyre.

From BBC Mar. 22, 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

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

While Johnson leaned over the table to look, McNamara pointed out potential targets for an American air strike, mainly North Vietnamese torpedo boat bases along the coast.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

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