After a long encirclement campaign, the rebellion was finally put down.
Tips
usage
The common modern reading, meaning to militarily destroy bandits or rebels. Core words: 围剿 ('to encircle and annihilate'), 剿匪 ('to suppress bandits'), 剿灭 ('to exterminate').
The knife radical, side form of 刀, on the right. The blade signals cutting down and destroying — the violent eradication at the heart of the jiǎo meaning.
Standalone 巢 ('nest') gives the sound and a fitting image: destroying a bandit lair is like wiping out a nest. It also feeds the chāo reading of the 'plagiarize' sense.
