Meaning & use
aerial attack
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountablemilitary
An attack carried out by aircraft, drones, or missiles from the sky.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'an aerial attack' or 'aerial attacks'.
Patterns
- launch an aerial attack
- carry out an aerial attack
- survive an aerial attack
The city was unprepared for the sudden aerial attack.
Military analysts reported that the aerial attack targeted key infrastructure.
Residents fled the area after the aerial attack began at dawn.
Word forms
| plural | aerial attacks |
|---|
Common combinations
- launch an aerial attack
- The rebels launched an aerial attack on the government base.
- aerial attack on
- The aerial attack on the harbor destroyed several ships.
- aerial bombardment
- The aerial bombardment lasted for three days.
Synonyms and how they differ
- air strike
- A more specific term for a single attack by aircraft, often on a particular target.
- air raid
- Often used for a surprise attack by bombers, especially in historical contexts.
- airstrike
- One word, common in news reports; similar meaning but usually implies a planned, targeted attack.
Word family
Commonly confused: aerial attack or air attack?
aerial attack vs air attack
Similar meaning, but 'air attack' is less formal and can also refer to an attack by air forces in general.
Practice
Which phrase best completes the sentence: 'The military decided to ______ an aerial attack on the enemy base.'?
Choose one answer.
The verb 'launch' is commonly used with 'attack' to mean to start an attack. 'Make' and 'do' are too general, and 'take' does not collocate with 'attack' in this context.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “aerial attack”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.