dog fight
Close-quarters air battle
A dogfight is aerial combat between fighter aircraft at close range, with pilots maneuvering aggressively to get behind their opponents: The dogfight lasted only seconds before the enemy plane went down.
The term comes from fights between dogs—staged combat where dogs attack each other, now illegal in most places but persisting underground.
Extended to any fierce, chaotic struggle: The election turned into a real dogfight.
- warplaneMilitary combat aircraft
- arenaVenue for contests
- ringClosed curve shape
- close quartersRestricted space, minimal distance
- combatArmed hostile engagement
battle · barrel roll · wingman · canine · air superiority · maneuver · violent · clash · aggressive · animals · Red Baron · bloody · territoriality · dangerous · turf war · bunfight · showdown · tooth and nail
- games & pastimeschess match, dice game, playing cards, game board, chess pieces
dog fightbombing run
Combat aircraft attack mission
strategic bombing · missile strike · drone strike · carpet bombing · precision strike
dog fightpeace
Freedom from disturbance
harmony · tranquility · truce · ceasefire · reconciliation