blitz
noun
blitz
American
[blits]
/ blɪts /
noun
blitzes
plural
-
Military.
-
an overwhelming all-out attack, especially a swift ground attack using armored units and air support.
-
an intensive aerial bombing.
-
-
any swift, vigorous attack, barrage, or defeat.
a blitz of commercials every few minutes.
-
Football. act or instance of charging directly for (the passer) as soon as the ball is snapped; red-dogging.
verb (used with object)
blitzes,
present (3rd person singular)
blitzed,
past participle, past
blitzing
present participle
-
to attack or defeat with or as if with a blitz.
The town was blitzed mercilessly by enemy planes. The visitors really blitzed the home team.
-
to destroy; demolish.
His last-minute refusal blitzed all our plans.
verb (used without object)
blitzes,
present (3rd person singular)
blitzed,
past participle, past
blitzing
present participle
-
Football. to charge directly and immediately at the passer; red-dog.
-
to move in the manner of a blitz.
a car that will blitz through rough terrain.
blitz
1
British
/ blɪts /
noun
-
a violent and sustained attack, esp with intensive aerial bombardment
-
any sudden intensive attack or concerted effort
an advertising blitz
a drink-driving blitz
-
American football a defensive charge on the quarterback
verb
Blitz
2
British
/ blɪts /
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
blitzsimple
-
blitzessimple
-
have blitzedperfect
-
has blitzedperfect
-
am blitzingprogressive
-
are blitzingprogressive
-
is blitzingprogressive
-
have been blitzingperfect progressive
-
has been blitzingperfect progressive
Past
-
blitzedsimple
-
had blitzedperfect
-
was blitzingprogressive
-
were blitzingprogressive
-
had been blitzingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of blitz
First recorded in 1935–40; shortening of blitzkrieg
Explanation
A sudden, overwhelming military attack during war is a blitz. Sometimes a major blitz can lead to the end of a conflict. The idea of a blitz is that it either overpowers or completely surprises the enemy, and it often involves bombing from overhead. The military use of blitz has migrated to sports as well, especially in American football when the defense bursts through the offense or rushes the passer. Any kind of unexpected attack, in fact, has come to be known as a blitz. The word comes from the German Blitzkrieg, "rapid attack."
Vocabulary lists containing blitz
Set, Hut! Football Vocabulary
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Super Bowl Blowout: Epic Vocab for the Big Game
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Words Football Fans Can Master Easily
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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.
The current hiring blitz follows more than a decade of decline, after California’s court systems shed about a third of their reporters amid a protracted budget crisis in 2012.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 6, 2026
The Supreme Court just wrapped the term with a blitz of extremely consequential decisions, and the smoke hasn’t cleared yet.
From Slate • Jul. 4, 2026
Shares of the world’s largest tech companies have taken a backset this year to beneficiaries of their artificial-intelligence spending blitz, with semiconductor stocks taking a leading role in driving the market higher.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 24, 2026
So said Vice President JD Vance on Monday, and it has become his mantra across a blitz of TV interviews.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 18, 2026
Rain began its blitz, tranging bullets off the roof and strafing the puddles round the barn.
From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell
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.
