Meaning & use
blitzkrieg
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Meanings
nouncountablemilitary
A fast, violent military attack using tanks, aircraft and troops together to overwhelm an enemy before it can respond.
Grammar: Has a plural: German blitzkriegs.
Patterns
- launch a blitzkrieg
- a blitzkrieg on something
The army launched a blitzkrieg across the border.
Historians study the blitzkrieg of 1940.
The blitzkrieg ended the war in weeks.
nouncountablefigurative
Any sudden, intense campaign carried out at great speed.
Grammar: Used figuratively: a marketing blitzkrieg.
Patterns
- a blitzkrieg of something
The company mounted an ad blitzkrieg.
A blitzkrieg of emails filled my inbox.
Word forms
| plural | blitzkriegs |
|---|
Common combinations
- launch a blitzkrieg
- They launched a blitzkrieg.
- blitzkrieg tactics
- Blitzkrieg tactics relied on speed.
- media blitzkrieg
- A media blitzkrieg followed.
- blitzkrieg attack
- A blitzkrieg attack surprised them.
Synonyms and how they differ
- lightning war
- Lightning war is the literal translation, and is rarely used.
- blitz
- Blitz is the shortened form, used more widely for any intense effort.
- onslaught
- Onslaught means a fierce attack, with no specific tactic.
Word family
- blitz noun
- a sudden intense attack or effort
Commonly confused: blitzkrieg or blizzard?
blitzkrieg vs blizzard
A blizzard is a heavy snowstorm, not a military attack.
Practice
The general planned a ___, using tanks and planes to strike quickly.
Choose one answer.
Blitzkrieg means a fast, concentrated attack. A siege is a slow blockade, so it fails.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “blitzkrieg”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.