first strike

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR first strike ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the initial use of nuclear weapons in a conflict, in which the attacker tries to destroy the adversary's strategic nuclear forces.

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Nearby words

first run, first school, first secretary, first sergeant, first state, first strike, first string, first thing, first things first, first water, first world

Origin of first strike

First recorded in 1960–65

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019