first strike
Hit them first
First strike refers to an initial attack, especially a preemptive nuclear attack intended to destroy an enemy's weapons before they can be launched.
The term gained prominence during the Cold War in discussions of nuclear strategy, where first strike capability meant the ability to neutralize an adversary's arsenal before retaliation.
More broadly, first strike can describe any opening offensive action: The company's lawsuit was a first strike against its competitor.
- preemptiveActing to forestall
- preemptive warAttacking an anticipated aggressor first
- nuclearOf atomic energy
- nuclear optionMost drastic available action
- attackAggressive act against another
surprise · shock and awe · missile · launch · deterrent · hair trigger · aggression · offensive · knockout · opening · punch · ambush · initiative · bowling · warfare · strategic · preventive · escalation
- strategystrategy, grand strategy, tactics, tactic, tactical
- Nuclearnuclear reactor, atomic bomb, nuclear energy, atomic bombs, uranium
- nuclear waratomic bomb, nuclear holocaust, nuclear arsenal, hydrogen bomb, ICBM
- aggressive tacticsblitz, blitzkrieg, frontal assault, offensive, attack mode
- military aggressioninvasion, unprovoked attack, offensive war, surprise attack, border incursion
- military strategymilitary doctrine, combat tactics, tactical maneuvers, war planning, defense policy
first strikeretaliation
Punitive response to injury
second strike · counterattack · counterstrike · retaliatory strike · reprisal
first strikediplomacy
Negotiation between nations
restraint · de-escalation · negotiation · appeasement · peaceful resolution
first, strike, firstly, striker, strikes, struck, stricken, striking, strikingly