# first strike

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. An attack (typically nuclear) launched without warning in the absence of a prior attack by one's opponent, with the intention of destroying one's opponent's ability to retaliate.
2. A first offense by a lawbreaker, as counted by a three-strikes law.
3. One of the first few coins struck from a new set of dies.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/first-strike