blitz
noun
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blitz
American
[blits]
/ blɪts /
noun
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Military.
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an overwhelming all-out attack, especially a swift ground attack using armored units and air support.
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an intensive aerial bombing.
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any swift, vigorous attack, barrage, or defeat.
a blitz of commercials every few minutes.
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Football. act or instance of charging directly for (the passer) as soon as the ball is snapped; red-dogging.
verb (used with object)
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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.
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to destroy; demolish.
His last-minute refusal blitzed all our plans.
verb (used without object)
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Football. to charge directly and immediately at the passer; red-dog.
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to move in the manner of a blitz.
a car that will blitz through rough terrain.
blitz
1
British
/ blɪts /
noun
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a violent and sustained attack, esp with intensive aerial bombardment
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any sudden intensive attack or concerted effort
an advertising blitz
a drink-driving blitz
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American football a defensive charge on the quarterback
verb
Blitz
2
British
/ blɪts /
noun
Other Word Forms
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.
Microsoft alone is expected to account for $190 billion of AI outlays this year, fueling an infrastructure blitz anchored by a multibillion-dollar partnership with OpenAI that CEO Satya Nadella kicked off in 2019.
From MarketWatch • May 23, 2026
I let everything slump and soften before transferring the mixture to my mini blender for a quick blitz into a pale orange, velvet-like base.
From Salon • May 12, 2026
“We just got blitzed,” said Redick, and this shorthanded team has proven they simply don’t have enough blockers to slow that blitz.
From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026
Henkel’s HEN3 2.29%increase; green up pointing triangle organic sales rose in the first quarter, while the maker of Schwarzkopf and Persil is on an acquisition blitz.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
He had expected Carter to blitz and instead the big guard had pulled back and skirted the line, annihilating Jerry from behind.
From "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier
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.
