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Glite Dictionary
to strafe the area

to strafe the area

9.9
To attack a place from a plane or helicopter with machine gun fire
  • phrasal verb
  • /streɪf ði ˈɛəriə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : ametrallar el área
  • Helicopters were used to strafe the area and suppress enemy fire.

Examples

  • The fighter planes were ordered to strafe the area before the infantry advanced.

  • Don't strafe the area without orders!

  • They had to strafe the area in response to reports of hostile movement.

  • The pilot decided to strafe the area to eliminate enemy positions.

  • The fighter jets strafed the area, hitting enemy positions with accurate gunfire.

  • During the simulation, the drones strafed the designated target area to assess potential damage.

  • The military operation involved aircraft that strafed the area to provide cover for ground troops.

How Violent

to carpet bomb
  • NSFW
4 7.5
area bombing
  • NSFW
7.5
to strafe the area
  • Specialized
9.9
fire
∞ 5.9

Surface Forms

strafe the area infinitive
strafed the area past
strafed the area past participle
strafing the area present participle
strafe the areas third person singular

Morphology

strafe + the + area

The verb 'strafe' literally means to attack ground targets from a low-flying aircraft, and adding 'the area' simply specifies the location of that action. This is a straightforward verb + object composition (literal, not idiomatic); although 'strafe' is specialized military vocabulary, a B1 learner who knows the constituent words can derive the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Strafe the area may come from an old word strafe meaning 'to punish', but the phrase gives a clear picture: a plane flying low and firing its machine guns across a stretch of ground—the area. That's why it means 'to attack a place from the air with machine-gun fire'.