Wiktionary
n. (context fencing English) An attack that is intended to miss or fall short, so as to produce a reaction from the opponent. Also called a false action.
Usage examples of "false attack".
And one daring way to capture your opponent's High Counselor and turn it to your side was to sacrifice your Spires in a false attack.
Why would you go to such elaborate lengths to prepare a false attack that can avail you nothing?
When morning is up, do not long delay to scale the mountain, and enter the castle, for the sooner you take it, the less blood will be shed: order the battle so, that the troops you leave for the false attack may be fully engaged with the besieged before you enter.
Sefris ignored the false attack and swept down her arm to parry the true one.
Brodur made a false attack and his lunge drew the Mariner out in parry-riposte.
The rest of the Battalion was to create a diversion by making a false attack on the fort and, under the cover of the noise, the sappers were to stack their twenty kegs of powder at the dam's base.
The Colonel, Sharpe knew, was hoping that the false attack might reveal a weakness in the fort and turn itself into a real attack.
The Defense Department speculates that this was either a malfunction, a response to a false attack alarm, or some kind of demonstration of air defense power that, frankly, wasted a lot of missiles and bullets for nothing.
He feinted, and Jiana countered sufficiently to guard the false attack, then anticipated Tourdi and side-stepped to meet the real threat.
They are to catch up a chest or two and run off into the broken country behind while their friends amuse us with a false attack in front.
But the warriors, Eilonwy saw with sinking heart, ran not to Gwystyl's false attack but to the Great Hall.