A preemptive attack means taking action against someone or something before they have a chance to harm or attack you. It is like hitting first before the other person does to protect yourself or gain an advantage. Full definition
North Korea is developing long - range missiles and practicing for nuclear war — and the US military is considering preemptive attacks on the isolated nation's military facilities. (businessinsider.com)
The current policy of preemptive attack, for example, sounds like life in the video game world, where you must «get the bad guys» before «they get you.» (religion-online.org)
If you initiate a successful preemptive attack, for example, the enemy party will react to your moves in a sub-optimal manner. (segalization.com)