Advertisement
Advertisement
preemptive strike
noun
, Military.
- 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.
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.
Discover More
Word History and Origins
Origin of preemptive strike1
First recorded in 1955–60
Discover More
Example Sentences
The Democrats made a preemptive strike, and now the Republicans will exact their revenge.
From The Daily Beast
A historic settlement will grant Netanyahu prestige and widen Israeli leverage for a possible preemptive strike.
From The Daily Beast
A historic settlement would grant Netanyahu prestige and widen Israeli leverage for a possible preemptive strike.
From The Daily Beast
Third, he relied on spotty intelligence and the threat of chemical weapons to justify a preemptive strike.
From The Daily Beast
In July 2011, the seven-time Tour de France winner mounted a preemptive strike against 60 Minutes.
From The Daily Beast
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Browse