decisive battle
War-ending major engagement
A decisive battle is a military engagement that determines the outcome of a war or campaign.
Unlike inconclusive fighting that leaves both sides capable of continuing, a decisive battle breaks one side's ability or will to fight: Waterloo was the decisive battle that ended Napoleon's rule.
The phrase appears in strategic discussions about whether modern warfare still produces such clear turning points.
- turning pointDecisive moment of change
- envelopmentAct of surrounding completely
- chargeCost or accusation
- crushing blowOverwhelming, decisive strike
- do or dieRequiring total commitment
showdown · winner takes all · coup de grâce · final stand · last ditch effort · no retreat · line in the sand · regime change · rout · blitzkrieg · annihilation · armistice · flanking maneuver · attrition warfare · cavalry charge · peace treaty · pincer movement · strategic victory
- BattlesAntietam, Leipzig, Gettysburg, Waterloo, Bunker Hill
- showdownsshowdown, face-off, faceoff, confrontation, duel
- naval warfaredestroyer, naval combat, naval tactics, naval operations, warship
- military tacticstactics, flanking, maneuver, ambush, combat maneuvers
- warfarecombat, attack, war, armed conflict, military strategy
- Epic Sports MomentsSuper Bowl, title fight, championship game, gold medal match, overtime thriller
decisive battleskirmish
Brief, limited combat
firefight · limited engagement · brush · clash · guerrilla raid
battle, decide, decision, decided, deciding, decisive, battles, indecisive, undecided