pre-emptive attack
collocation in Englishmeaningsofpre-emptiveandattack
These words are often used together. Click on the links below to explore the meanings. Or,see other collocations withattack.
pre-emptive
adjective
uk/ˌpriːˈemp.tɪv/us/ˌpriːˈemp.tɪv/
If something is pre-emptive, it is done before other people can act, especially to prevent them from doing ...
See more atpre-emptive
attack
noun
uk/əˈtæk/us/əˈtæk/
a violent act intended to hurt or damage someone ...
See more atattack
(Definition ofpre-emptiveandattackfrom theCambridge English Dictionary© Cambridge University Press)
Examplesofpre-emptive attack
These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.
It therefore became possible for him to approve both thepre-emptiveattackand the defence against it as just causes.
From theCambridge English Corpus
With a skeleton staff they would undoubtedly be vulnerable topre-emptiveattack, in a way that our present bases are not.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
Nevertheless, it would still make apre-emptiveattacka less credible and much less sane policy.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
Cruise would also have to be put in a submarine if it was to be invulnerable topre-emptiveattack.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
The force that we have possesses immensely formidable striking power and is effectively invulnerable topre-emptiveattack.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
The aircraft are vulnerable to attack unless air defences are destroyed by a massivepre-emptiveattack, with all the risks of military escalation.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
Is it not the case that it may not be necessary to launch apre-emptiveattackwith the aim of stopping an attack?
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
They are less vulnerable, in my opinion, and therefore a less tempting target forpre-emptiveattackonce they are deployed from their bases.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
It should also reduce the risk in a crisis ofpre-emptiveattackor war by miscalculation.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
On the one hand, both sides are on the point of deploying systems that would immensely increase the risk ofpre-emptiveattack, which would make arms control infinitely more difficult.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
The threat should not be dealt with by unilateral counter-proliferation pre-emptive attacks.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.
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