first strike

American  

noun

1. 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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first-strike British  

adjective

1. (of a nuclear missile) intended for use in an opening attack calculated to destroy the enemy's nuclear weapons

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Etymology

Origin of first strike

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

My mother texted the family the night of the first strikes.

From The Wall Street Journal

Buck Turgidson, one of the film’s most memorable characters, while agitating the president in the war room for a first strike against the Soviet Union.

From Salon

When the first strikes hit Dubai, she was in a hotel swimming pool with her boyfriend, she recounted.

From Barron's

Schools have been closed since the strike began Monday, leaving families to scramble for child care and meals as teachers rallied for their first strike since 1979.

From Los Angeles Times

The Caribbean campaign has killed at least 126 people since the first strike on Sept. 2, with the most recent airstrike occurring on Jan. 23.

From Salon