amphibious landing - a military action of coordinated land and sea and air forces organized for an invasion; "MacArthur staged a massive amphibious landing behind enemy lines"

battle, engagement, conflict, fight - a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war; "Grant won a decisive victory in the battle of Chickamauga"; "he lost his romantic ideas about war when he got into a real engagement"

blockade, encirclement - a war measure that isolates some area of importance to the enemy

defensive measure, defense, defence - military action or resources protecting a country against potential enemies; "they died in the defense of Stalingrad"; "they were developed for the defense program"

electronic warfare, EW - military action involving the use of electromagnetic energy to determine or exploit or reduce or prevent hostile use of the electromagnetic spectrum

police action - a local military action without declaration of war; against violators of international peace and order

resistance - the military action of resisting the enemy's advance; "the enemy offered little resistance"

saber rattling, sabre rattling - the ostentatious display of military power (with the implied threat that it might be used)

sortie, sally - a military action in which besieged troops burst forth from their position

war, warfare - the waging of armed conflict against an enemy; "thousands of people were killed in the war"

group action - action taken by a group of people

armed forces, armed services, military, military machine, war machine - the military forces of a nation; "their military is the largest in the region"; "the military machine is the same one we faced in 1991 but now it is weaker"