kill zone
Designated death area
A kill zone is an area where targets are most vulnerable to lethal fire—the space where an ambush or defensive position concentrates maximum firepower.
Military planners establish kill zones to trap enemies where escape is difficult: The patrol walked directly into the kill zone.
The term extends to any space designed to maximize casualties or, figuratively, to situations where failure is almost certain.
Surprise strike from concealment
- flankingAt the sides of
- suppressionForcible prevention or concealment
- overwatchProtective surveillance position
- breachBreaking of agreement
clearing · encirclement · maneuver · reconnaissance · infiltration · extraction · camouflage · guerrilla
Surprise strike from concealment
- engagementCommitment to wed or attend
- firefightExchange of gunfire
- crossfireGunfire from several angles
- enfiladeFire along an axis
flanking · suppression · artillery · mortar · minefield · casualty · combat · barrage
Concealed precision shooter
- crosshairsIntersecting sighting lines
- accuracyDegree of correctness
- marksmanshipAccuracy in shooting
- sharpshooterExpert precision shooter
scoped · trajectory · ballistics · zeroing · sighting · range · headshot · firing
Lacking the sense of sight
- standUpright support structure
- baitLure for prey
- decoyFalse target for misdirection
- quarryPit for extracting rock
game · trophy · stalking · predator · prey · ambush · downwind · tracking
Out in open
- defenselessWithout means to resist
- unprotectedWithout safeguard or shield
- trappedUnable to escape
- corneredUnable to flee
pinned · inescapable · hemmed-in · surrounded · outgunned · overwhelmed · helpless · caught
ambush
Surprise strike from concealment
- flankingAt the sides of
- suppressionForcible prevention or concealment
- overwatchProtective surveillance position
breach · clearing · encirclement · maneuver · reconnaissance · infiltration · extraction · camouflage · guerrilla · patrol
ambush
Surprise strike from concealment
- engagementCommitment to wed or attend
- firefightExchange of gunfire
- crossfireGunfire from several angles
enfilade · flanking · suppression · artillery · mortar · minefield · casualty · combat · barrage · frontline
sniper
Concealed precision shooter
- crosshairsIntersecting sighting lines
- accuracyDegree of correctness
- marksmanshipAccuracy in shooting
sharpshooter · scoped · trajectory · ballistics · zeroing · sighting · range · headshot · firing · calibration
blind
Lacking the sense of sight
quarry · game · trophy · stalking · predator · prey · ambush · downwind · tracking
exposed
Out in open
- defenselessWithout means to resist
- unprotectedWithout safeguard or shield
- trappedUnable to escape
cornered · pinned · inescapable · hemmed-in · surrounded · outgunned · overwhelmed · helpless · caught · bottlenecked
- danger zoneshostile territory, minefield, blast radius, nuclear fallout, contaminated area
- ambushambuscade, bushwhack, sneak attack, surprise attack, trap
- predationstalking, pursuit, pouncing, attack, bite
- war zonesbattlefield, battleground, front line, warzone, frontline
- Air Combatair strike, airstrikes, fighter pilot, bombing run, combat aircraft
- warfarebattle, combat, attack, war, armed conflict
kill zonesafe zone
Protected area from threats
safety zone · safe corridor · protected area · sanctuary · safe haven
kill zonerally point
Designated regrouping location
extraction point · fallback position · staging area · rear echelon · defensive position
kill, zone, killing, killer, killed, zoned, zones, overkill, zoning