thunder run
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.12 in modern English
14
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Synonym of thunderbox (“device for creating a thunder sound effect”).
noun
A quick surprise penetration attack deep into enemy territory, designed to confuse and potentially break enemy lines, akin to an interdiction operation featuring heavy usage of combined arms warfare.
Example Sentences
- "Much ingenuity went into the production of devices such as wind machines, rain boxes, thunder sheets and thunder runs to serve the demands of the play, and it is a sobering thought that[…]"
- "The two Thunder Runs are also prime examples of the importance of tanks in this war. Had we not taken tanks in on those days and instead relied on PCs or Strykers, we would have had a number of vehicles destroyed and more than one[…]"
- "During the thunder runs, they had been aggressors. They had closed on the enemy and killed him. But during their summer in Falloujah in 2003, they had been confronted with the new, postinvasion reality: They were no longer on the attack[…]"
- "According to Keegan, the disintegration of the Iraqi army should not diminish the American success. The finest examples of mission command-based maneuvers were the two “thunder runs” (swift and unexpected, massive armored, deep penetrations designed to unbalance the enemy) directed toward Baghdad."
Etymology
The military term originated in American English during the Vietnam war, denoting a somewhat different tactic.