carpet-bombing
Blanket aerial destruction
Carpet-bombing is an aerial bombardment strategy that drops massive quantities of explosives across a wide area rather than targeting specific sites.
The term evokes a carpet covering a floor—total, indiscriminate coverage.
Figuratively, carpet-bombing describes any overwhelming, blanket approach: The campaign carpet-bombed voters with attack ads.
The verb is carpet-bomb.
Heavy strategic bomber
- sortieArmed raid outward
- payloadCarried freight or charge
- raidSudden armed incursion
- squadronMilitary aviation unit
ordnance · munitions · incendiary · barrage · blitz · campaign · airforce · targeting
Fast, overwhelming military campaign
- saturationState of complete permeation
- overwhelmingIntensely excessive in force
- area-denialBlocking territory through threat
- attritionGradual reduction through loss
indiscriminate · scorched-earth · demoralization · suppression · softening · preemptive · escalation · obliteration
Covering something entirely
- inundationOverwhelming surge of water
- delugeSevere overflow of water
- relentlessContinuing without pause
- overwhelmingIntensely excessive in force
flooding · saturation · barrage · blitz · onslaught · spam · advertising · marketing
B-52
Heavy strategic bomber
squadron · ordnance · munitions · incendiary · barrage · blitz · campaign · airforce · targeting · casualties
blitzkrieg
Fast, overwhelming military campaign
- saturationState of complete permeation
- overwhelmingIntensely excessive in force
- area-denialBlocking territory through threat
attrition · indiscriminate · scorched-earth · demoralization · suppression · softening · preemptive · escalation · obliteration
blanketing
Covering something entirely
- inundationOverwhelming surge of water
- delugeSevere overflow of water
- relentlessContinuing without pause
overwhelming · flooding · saturation · barrage · blitz · onslaught · spam · advertising · marketing · messaging