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Glite Dictionary
plan of attack

plan of attack

14 3.2
A set of planned actions to solve a problem or reach a goal
  • noun
: plan de ataque
  • The best plan of attack right now for SEO is what it has been for a long time.
  • a new plan of attack
  • a good plan of attack
  • think of a plan of attack

And the first plan of attack was Roe, and then it's going to go birth control.

Examples

  • We have no plan of attack.

    Lost in America (1985)

  • All right, I propose that you draw the plan of attack so that we can follow it.

    The Last of the Finest (1990)

  • Look, what we need is a plan of attack.

    AVH: Alien vs. Hunter (2007)

  • And this is our plan of attack.

    American Heist (2014)

  • What is your plan of attack?

    Pokémon Detective Pikachu (2019)

  • What's your plan of attack?

    Cruel Intentions (1999)

  • We should have a plan of attack and have definite ideas of what we want.

    Blog text (18)

  • An overall plan of attack would be required to guarantee such an accomplishment.

    Academic text (2002)

  • Brazil has rightfully earned the prestige of being one of the few developing nations to implement a viable plan of attack against the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

    Academic text (2007)

  • Over dinner, Ernie explained his plan of attack for the next morning.

Synonyms

plan
vsplan of attack
∞ 1.0

A set of steps arranged to reach a goal

stresses a targeted method to deal with a particular problem
strategy
vsplan of attack
∞ 3.7

A plan to reach a goal, often used in business or games

is a general set of actions for dealing with a situation or goal
approach
vsplan of attack
∞ 3.4

A way of dealing with a problem or task

is more concrete, focusing on a specific set of actions to use
tactics
vsplan of attack
250 3.5

Planned short actions used to reach a specific goal

refers to an overall set of actions rather than just the component moves
tactic
vsplan of attack
178 3.0

A planned action to reach a goal

covers a full set of actions rather than one specific move
game plan
vsplan of attack
79 3.7

A set of actions that helps a team or person reach a goal

is broader, applying to any set of actions to solve a problem
course of action
vsplan of attack
73 3.6

A plan of steps to reach a goal

is a broad set of actions designed to handle a specific problem
battle plan
vsplan of attack
  • Specialized
17 3.6

A plan for fighting that shows who will do what, where, and when

applies generally to any problem solving set of actions, not just military cases
plan of action
vsplan of attack
16 3.4

A clear set of steps to reach a goal

is a general set of actions to deal with problems or goals
attack
vsplan of attack
6 3.5

A way of dealing with a problem or task

is the wider idea of planning actions to achieve a goal rather than one scheme

Antonyms

randomness
18 5.4

A lack of any predictable order or plan

How Aggressive

plan of attack
14 3.2
strategy
∞ 3.7
approach
∞ 3.4

Surface Forms

plan of attack singular
plans of attack plural

Morphology

plan + of + attack

The meaning is directly compositional: 'plan' (ordered actions) combined with 'attack' (an approach or offensive action) linked by 'of' yields 'a plan for an attack' i.e. a strategy or set of actions to address a problem. The metaphorical sense of 'attack' as an approach/strategy is common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents can readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Plan of attack comes from military battles where leaders made a clear plan showing where to send soldiers for an attack. That picture of choosing steps to win a fight helps explain why today it means a set of actions or a 'strategy' to solve a problem.