air raid

noun

: an attack by armed airplanes on a surface target
usually hyphenated when used attributively
air-raid shelter

Examples of air raid in a Sentence

Much of the city was destroyed in an air raid.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 was a surprise air raid by Japan on the U.S. during World War II. Jason Lemon, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 June 2025 Saturday’s massive air raid follows a drone attack Friday that killed four people and coincided with the final day of a large-scale prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia. Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 25 May 2025 The air raid alert in Kyiv lasted more than seven hours, warning of incoming missiles and drones. Illia Novikov, Chicago Tribune, 24 May 2025 See treasures Excavations near the Ciutadella Park also uncovered an air raid shelter built in 1938 during the Spanish Civil War to protect workers at an old fish market, archaeologists said. Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for air raid

Word History

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of air raid was in 1909

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Air raid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/air%20raid. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

air raid

noun
: an attack by armed airplanes on a surface target

More from Merriam-Webster on air raid

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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