preemptive strike
an attack against an enemy in response to an obvious threat of attack by that enemy: because preemptive strikes are prompted more by clearly imminent danger than by speculation, they generally are considered acceptable in international law.
Origin of preemptive strike
1- Compare preventive war.
Words Nearby preemptive strike
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use preemptive strike in a sentence
“We’re making a preemptive strike against the virus, acting before it’s too late,” said Deputy Prime Minister Leo Varadkar on Monday, when the fresh lockdown was announced.
National lockdowns return to Europe as COVID-19 numbers soar | David Meyer | October 22, 2020 | FortuneThe Democrats made a preemptive strike, and now the Republicans will exact their revenge.
A historic settlement will grant Netanyahu prestige and widen Israeli leverage for a possible preemptive strike.
A Very Israeli Linkage: Iran's Bomb and Peace With the Palestinians | Nadav Eyal | September 10, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTA historic settlement would grant Netanyahu prestige and widen Israeli leverage for a possible preemptive strike.
A Very Israeli Linkage: Iran's Nuclear Bomb and Peace With Palestine | Nadav Eyal | September 10, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTThird, he relied on spotty intelligence and the threat of chemical weapons to justify a preemptive strike.
A Veteran Sees Echoes of Iraq and Argues Against Intervention in Syria | Brian Van Reet | September 9, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
In July 2011, the seven-time Tour de France winner mounted a preemptive strike against 60 Minutes.
How Lance Armstrong Lied to the World (Including Me) | Howard Kurtz | January 5, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
Cultural definitions for preemptive strike
A first-strike attack with nuclear weapons carried out to destroy an enemy's capacity to respond. A preemptive strike is based on the assumption that the enemy is planning an imminent attack.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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