first blood
Initial strike landed
First blood is the first injury inflicted in a fight or competition—the moment when one side draws blood from the other.
The term comes from dueling and combat but now applies broadly to any contest: The home team drew first blood with an early goal.
In video games, first blood often refers to the first kill of a match, sometimes announced dramatically by the game itself.
Forceful impact or stoppage
- woundCoiled, or an injury
- injuryPhysical or psychological harm
- casualtyPerson harmed in disaster
- skirmishBrief, limited combat
assault · engagement · clash · ambush · offensive · battlefield · warrior · soldier
Ongoing contest between opponents
- opponentOne who contends against
- challengerOne competing against incumbent
- duelPrearranged one-on-one combat
- showdownDecisive final confrontation
face-off · bout · match · tournament · head-to-head · contest · elimination · bracket
Opening play in football
- onsetStarting point of something
- outbreakSudden eruption of trouble
- commencementAct of starting
- beginningInitial stage of something
Position of control
- edgeBoundary or sharpness
- leadDense metal, symbol Pb
- initiativeSelf-directed action capacity
- head startBeginning advantage given
momentum · foothold · leverage · vantage · dominance · ascendancy · opening · breakthrough
strike
Forceful impact or stoppage
skirmish · assault · engagement · clash · ambush · offensive · battlefield · warrior · soldier · infantry
rivalry
Ongoing contest between opponents
- opponentOne who contends against
- challengerOne competing against incumbent
- duelPrearranged one-on-one combat
showdown · face-off · bout · match · tournament · head-to-head · contest · elimination · bracket · qualifier
kickoff
Opening play in football
- onsetStarting point of something
- outbreakSudden eruption of trouble
- commencementAct of starting
upper hand
Position of control
- edgeBoundary or sharpness
- leadDense metal, symbol Pb
- initiativeSelf-directed action capacity
head start · momentum · foothold · leverage · vantage · dominance · ascendancy · opening · breakthrough
ferocity
Extreme violent intensity
hostility · animosity · savagery · onslaught · frenzy · escalation · confrontation · tension · conflict · strife
- gameplaypower-up, level cap, save point, game over, tutorial level
- gaming achievementsplatinum trophy, gold trophy, silver trophy, bronze trophy, perfect game
- Pro Wrestlingheel, WrestleMania, face turn, Royal Rumble, kayfabe
- Duelingduel, duels, dueling, duelist, pistols at dawn
- swordplayfencer, swordsman, sword fighting, swordsmanship, parry
- game killsfrag, kills, headshot, double kill, triple kill
first bloodfinal blow
Decisive finishing strike
coup de grâce · death blow · fatal strike · finishing move · finishing blow
first bloodknockout
Incapacitating final blow
total defeat · decisive victory · checkmate · annihilation · total victory
first, blood, firsts, firstly, bloods, bloody, bloodied, bloodying, bloodier