blitzkrieg

American  

[blits-kreeg] / ˈblɪtsˌkrig /

noun

1. blitz.

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blitzkrieg British  

/ ˈblɪtsˌkriːɡ /

noun

1. a swift intensive military attack, esp using tanks supported by aircraft, designed to defeat the opposition quickly

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blitzkrieg Cultural  

1. A form of warfare used by German forces in World War II. In a blitzkrieg, troops in vehicles, such as tanks, made quick surprise strikes with support from airplanes. These tactics resulted in the swift German conquest of France in 1940 (see fall of France). Blitzkrieg is German for “lightning war.”

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Etymology

Origin of blitzkrieg

1935–40; < German, equivalent to Blitz lightning + Krieg war

Example Sentences

Only weeks after the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, the emperor’s soldiers swept south through Malaya, often riding on cheap pushbikes in an assault dubbed “the bicycle blitzkrieg.”

From The Wall Street Journal

With their event fast approaching, Shephard and Goncalves created a blitzkrieg of advertisements across social media and posted fliers on lampposts throughout the neighborhood to drum up excitement.

From Los Angeles Times

I asked officials and management experts to help compile a list of possible side effects from Musk’s blitzkrieg.

From Los Angeles Times

Predictably, the new administration’s blitzkrieg has run into resistance on several fronts.

From Los Angeles Times

Some critics contend that might be preferable to Gascón’s blitzkrieg approach.

From Los Angeles Times