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Glite Dictionary
✈️ To attack from air ✈️ Air attack 🎮 To move sideways
to strafe

to strafe

6 9.5
To attack the ground from a low-flying plane by firing guns or dropping bombs
  • verb
  • /streɪf/
  • Specialized
translation icon : ametrallar
  • 154B Terminator, standing at the edge, fires a long burst that strafes the police cars lined up below.
  • bombed and strafed
  • fighter bombers strafed
  • plane strafed

Stop bombing, strafing and shelling civilians.

Examples

  • Rounds strafed the leaves above Fagin's head.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • This order was executed with some difficulty as the attacking planes strafed the crew as they went over the side.

    Academic text (1991)

  • The Mustangs then had enough fuel to strafe anything that moved on the ground.

    Blog text (34)

  • That is to say, his car was strafed by Allied aircraft.

    The Night of the Generals (1967)

  • The Pinkertons return fire, taking shelter in the train cars as the riders strafe the train.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • He's cut off as a burst of gunfire strafes the cars.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • Coming from the other direction, Gavin and Wes Janson strafed the ship with laser fire.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • Japanese Zeroes strafed our P-40s at Wheeler Field on their way to the 7th fleet.

    Only The Brave (2006)

  • As regime air strikes hit hospitals, helicopter gunships strafe civilian streets, and artillery shells target bread queues, the US has done almost nothing.

    Blog text (5)

  • The enemy plane began to strafe the ground troops with machine-gun fire.

Synonyms

to strafe the area
vsto strafe
  • Specialized
9.9

To attack a place from a plane or helicopter with machine gun fire

focuses on attacking a single identified target rather than a general area

Antonyms

to defend
∞ 1.3

To protect people and things from attack or harm

Phrasal Verbs

to strafe the area
  • Specialized
9.9

To attack a place from a plane or helicopter with machine gun fire

How Violent

to bomb
300 3.1
to strafe
  • Specialized
6 9.5
to attack
∞ 1.3
to shoot
  • NSFW
∞ 1.8
firing off
9 6.0

Surface Forms

strafe infinitive
strafed past
strafed past participle
strafing present participle
strafes third person singular

Etymology

Strafe comes from the German verb strafen, 'to punish'. Soldiers began to use it for attacks from low-flying planes that 'punish' the enemy, so to strafe someone is to fire on them from a low aircraft.