to cut down; to fell; to dispatch an expedition against; to attack; to boast; Taiwan pr. [fa1]

to hew; to cut down

to suppress by armed force; to send a punitive expedition against; to crusade against

the Northern Expedition, the Nationalists' campaign of 1926-1928 under Chiang Kai-shek, against the rule of local warlords

to console the people by punishing the tyrants (abbr. for 弔民伐罪|吊民伐罪[diao4 min2 fa2 zui4])