What does "blitz" mean?
A sudden attack, especially an air raid; usually with reference to the Blitz.
Blitz
/blɪts/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A sudden attack, especially an air raid; usually with reference to the Blitz.
- Grammar: blitz is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: advertising campaign, aggravated assault, aggression, aim at.
- Useful contrasts: deemphasize, defense, delay.
- Usage evidence: The police are having a blitz on drink driving, hooliganism and hoon driving this weekend.
How to use "blitz"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "blitz" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "blitz" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "blitz" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "blitz" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "blitz" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "advertising campaign" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "blitz", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A sudden attack, especially an air raid; usually with reference to the Blitz. countable
- 2 a swift and violent military offensive with intensive aerial bombardment wordnet
- 3 A swift and overwhelming attack or effort. countable
"We embarked on a publicity blitz, putting posters and flyers all around town."
- 4 (American football) defensive players try to break through the offensive line wordnet
- 5 A play in which additional defenders beyond the defensive linemen rush the passer. countable
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 Ellipsis of blitz chess. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, uncountable
"What I had played was chess. Specially, I knocked out some 2,000 games of speed (or "blitz") chess in the two months leading up to the tournament. In fact, I played so much that I'm currently in the top half-percent of more than 1.3 million of blitz players at an online chess competition site."
- 7 The act of blending or puréeing food using a blender or processor. countable, uncountable
- 8 An occurrence in which large numbers of fish, typically striped bass or bluefish, feed on a school of baitfish, typically one in which the occurrence can be seen from the surface. countable, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To attack quickly or suddenly, as by an air raid or similar action. transitive
"So the question remains — what to do with ignorance, which I must presume is deliberate, as in this media-blitzed era it is not possible to be truly ignorant after age 12."
- 2 attack suddenly and without warning wordnet
- 3 To perform a blitz. intransitive
"The Washington High defense almost always blitzes on third down."
- 4 To purée or chop (food products) using a food processor or blender. transitive
"To make nut roast, you have to blitz the nuts in the food processor before adding the parsley and breadcrumbs."
- 5 To do something quickly or in one session. informal, transitive
Proper Noun
- 1 The series of air raids launched on various cities in the United Kingdom by the German air force in 1940–41 during World War II. historical
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"The police are having a blitz on drink driving, hooliganism and hoon driving this weekend."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "blitz"?
Common synonyms include: advertising campaign, aggravated assault, aggression, aim at, air raid, ambush.
How do you use "blitz" in a sentence?
The police are having a blitz on drink driving, hooliganism and hoon driving this weekend.
How do you pronounce "blitz"?
Pronounced /blɪts/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Clipping of blitzkrieg, from German Blitzkrieg (literally “lightning war”).
Etymology 2
Specific use of blitz. The Blitz was in truth not a blitzkrieg, which is a rapid ground offensive based on superior tank forces. However, the word was current at the time for the successful German campaigns in Poland and France, and was transferred to the attacks on Britain, perhaps by association of Blitz (“lightning”) with the bombings.