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Synonyms

air raid

American  

noun

  1. a raid by aircraft, especially for bombing a particular area.

air raid British  

noun

    1. an attack by hostile aircraft

    2. ( as modifier )

      an air-raid shelter
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • air raider noun
  • air-raid adjective

Etymology

Origin of air raid

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The BBC understands the drone - with a two-metre wingspan - had been tracked by radar approaching the base, time enough to sound the air raid warning and to get people out of harm's way.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

Palestinians also took playful aim at a Facebook post by Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion detailing the proper conduct when an air raid siren sounds.

From Barron's • Mar. 8, 2026

Some people, like Anna Shilanski, are choosing to spend their nights underground to avoid having to wake up and rush downstairs when air raid sirens wail in the wee hours.

From Barron's • Mar. 2, 2026

John Henry, 71, from Northampton, who is on holiday with his family, was at a shopping centre when they got an air raid alert.

From BBC • Feb. 28, 2026

An air raid blackout signal system, details of which can be found elsewhere in this edition, was established.

From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.