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Battle of Midway

Battle of Midway

1 5.3
An important sea battle in World War II where American ships defeated a Japanese fleet near Midway in June 1942
  • proper noun
  • /ˈbætəl əv ˈmɪdweɪ/
translation icon : Batalla de Midway
  • June 4, 1942: The U.S. aircraft carrier Yorktown left, and the other fighting ships of a United States task force in the Pacific threw up an umbrella of anti-aircraft fire to beat off a squadron of Japanese torpedo planes attacking the carrier during the Battle of Midway.
  • the Battle of Midway in June 1942
  • the Battle of Midway marked the turning point
  • victory in the Battle of Midway

In fact, the the fact that the Battle of Midway was as decisive as it was does not become clear for several days and even weeks.

Examples

  • He was on Midway Island during the Battle of Midway and then was shipped to Guadalcanal.

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  • The Battle of Midway was a critical turning point in World War II, leading to American naval superiority in the Pacific.

  • Bill, I agree about the pivotal importance of the Battle of Midway.

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  • In fact, the the fact that the Battle of Midway was as decisive as it was does not become clear for several days and even weeks.

  • The progressives are the most urgent threat to America since the Battle of Midway.

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  • The 70th anniversary of the Battle of Midway, one of history's most important battles, has come and gone, with little attention paid.

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  • Photo 19 shows SBD's dive bombers; though they were used for scouting, these are the planes that won the Battle of Midway.

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  • The Battle of Midway was shot in large part by the then three-time Academy Award-winning director himself from the roof of the power plant on Midway using a small handheld camera.

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  • Many historians consider the outcome of the Battle of Midway to be one of the most significant victories for the United States in the war.

  • The strategic success of the Battle of Midway helped shift the momentum of the war against Japan in June 1942.

Synonyms

Midway
vsBattle of Midway
20 7.1

An important sea battle in June 1942 where American forces defeated a Japanese fleet near the Midway Islands

is the full formal name of the same event

Surface Forms

Morphology

battle + of + Midway

The phrase is compositionally built from 'battle' (a large fight) plus the place name 'Midway', so a learner who knows the constituents will infer it refers to a battle that took place at Midway. The 'Battle of X' naming pattern is a common, cross-linguistic way to label historical engagements, making the basic meaning immediately transparent even if specific historical details require background knowledge.

Etymology

Battle of Midway was a 1942 sea fight near the Midway Islands, which are called 'Midway' because they sit about halfway between Asia and North America. A major U.S. victory there weakened Japan's navy and became seen as the 'turning point' in the Pacific War, so the name now refers to that important battle.