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saturation bombing

/ˌsæʧəˈreɪʃən ˈbɑmɪŋ/
IPA guide

In war, when a lot of bombs are dropped over a wide area of land, it's known as saturation bombing.

The technique of saturation bombing, also known as carpet bombing, was first attempted during the Spanish Civil war in the 1930s, but it became widely used in World War II. The strategy was to "saturate" and destroy a wide area with intensive, repeated bombing rather than zeroing in on one specific target. Since 1977, saturation bombing a village, town, or anywhere else with a lot of civilians has been considered a war crime.

Definitions of saturation bombing
  1. noun
    an extensive and systematic bombing intended to devastate a large target
    see moresee less
    type of:
    bombardment, bombing
    an attack by dropping bombs
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