Jump To:

• first strike
  first strike

  noun

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

  adjective

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

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.

---

first-strike British  

adjective

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

---

Etymology

Origin of first strike

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

first strike first-strike

It would have marked their first strike in 35 years.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026

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 ● Mar. 10, 2026

In response to a reporter's question during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Hegseth said that he watched the first strike "live" but quickly moved on to another meeting.

From BBC ● Dec. 2, 2025

“We didn’t come out hot, and we let them get the first strike in and we were battling for the rest of that game,” Rams defensive tackle Kobie Turner said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 8, 2025

From there, he sent his most trusted general ahead to lead the first strike.

From "Sterling Biographies®: Cleopatra: Egypt's Last and Greatest Queen" by Susan Blackaby

Both players showcased their preference for first-strike tennis, knocking lumps out of the ball from the baseline, in a high-level contest played at breakneck speed.

From BBC ● Jun. 1, 2026

Eight years later, the Mariners are chasing down an MLB record for first-strike percentage, the one data point they value above everything in pitching.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 2, 2023

And over the past year, the North has enshrined its nuclear capability in its laws and started talking about its first-strike capabilities, rather than casting its arsenal as purely defensive.

From New York Times ● Apr. 26, 2023

His game, Jackson assured, will be on display soon, the cornerback suggesting that a first-strike approach will lead to increased production.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2022

Fearing a first-strike nuclear attack by the United States, the Soviet Union resolved not to let its guard down.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau