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scorched-earth

a. Characteristic of a desire to prevail at any cost. alt. Characteristic of a desire to prevail at any cost.

Usage examples of "scorched-earth".

They had ruthlessly conducted a scorched-earth policy from which it would take generations to recover.

Between us we control almost fifty percent of the total ground area of Mozambique, and another forty percent of the country is a destruction zone over which we are forced to maintain a scorched-earth policy to prevent Frelinio growing either food for their troops or cash crops to finance their war effort against us.

The Guardians were trying to stop the Army with a scorched-earth policy, depriving it of what it needed to survive.

But when Lord Kitchener embarked on a scorched-earth policy, and rounded up the civilian population into concentration camps, the outcome was ordained.

In the end they had driven back the robot invaders, but Omnius had instructed the thinking machine fighters to follow a scorched-earth policy along their retreat.

Then he hung up the phone, hyperventilated, and sent Missy to the pharmacy to buy copious quantities of A-200 pyrinate Liquid, Cuprex, Kwell cream and Kwelll otion--and a thermite bomb just to be prepared in the event a scorched-earth policy proved necessary.

Punter, the cook, away visiting relatives in Walham Green, had been prepared by the kitchenmaid, an indifferent performer who had used the scorched-earth policy on the bacon again.

Vampires usually employed a kind of scorched-earth policy, killing without thinking, changing a kill over on a whim, and not looking back.