the sound barrier
noun
: the large increase in air resistance that occurs as an aircraft nears the speed of sound and that was once an obstacle to traveling faster than the speed of sound
a plane that is able to break the sound barrier
Examples of the sound barrier in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Israeli warplanes flew low over Beirut while Nasrallah spoke and broke the sound barrier, scattering birds and prompting people in houses and offices to quickly open windows to prevent them from shattering.
—
Bradford Betz, Fox News, 20 Sep. 2024
In his speech last month, for example, Nasrallah referenced two sonic booms caused by Israeli jets that had broken the sound barrier over Beirut.
—Tamara Qiblawi, CNN, 19 Sep. 2024
Fireworks that lit up the night sky in the days leading up to Israel’s attack in southern Beirut have given way to sonic booms produced by Israeli jets breaking the sound barrier overhead, shaking windows and keeping frightened Lebanese families at home.
—Tamara Qiblawi, CNN, 14 Aug. 2024
As Hezbollah members gathered to hear leader Hassan Nasrallah memorialize Shukr on Tuesday, Israeli jets broke the sound barrier over Beirut, sending people scattering and rushing to open their windows to keep them from shattering.
—Dan Morrison, USA TODAY, 7 Aug. 2024
Even better is that once you’re done trying to break the sound barrier, you will be whisked along in near-silence, coddled in the finest Italian leather, and enjoying your Sonus Faber stereo system.
—Kyle Hyatt, Robb Report, 29 July 2024
Habib smiled; the noise came from Israeli jets breaking the sound barrier.
—Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, 22 July 2024
In 1947, Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier just north of Los Angeles County, at Edwards Air Force Base, where space shuttles landed from 1981 through 2009.
GPS technology blossomed from defense research in El Segundo; the internet evolved from defense research at UCLA.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2024
This likely gave rise to the popular misconception that the boom is heard only when a plane breaks the sound barrier.
—Jacek Krywko, Ars Technica, 29 Mar. 2024
Bradford Betz, Fox News, 20 Sep. 2024
In his speech last month, for example, Nasrallah referenced two sonic booms caused by Israeli jets that had broken the sound barrier over Beirut.
—Tamara Qiblawi, CNN, 19 Sep. 2024
Fireworks that lit up the night sky in the days leading up to Israel’s attack in southern Beirut have given way to sonic booms produced by Israeli jets breaking the sound barrier overhead, shaking windows and keeping frightened Lebanese families at home.
—Tamara Qiblawi, CNN, 14 Aug. 2024
As Hezbollah members gathered to hear leader Hassan Nasrallah memorialize Shukr on Tuesday, Israeli jets broke the sound barrier over Beirut, sending people scattering and rushing to open their windows to keep them from shattering.
—Dan Morrison, USA TODAY, 7 Aug. 2024
Even better is that once you’re done trying to break the sound barrier, you will be whisked along in near-silence, coddled in the finest Italian leather, and enjoying your Sonus Faber stereo system.
—Kyle Hyatt, Robb Report, 29 July 2024
Habib smiled; the noise came from Israeli jets breaking the sound barrier.
—Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, 22 July 2024
In 1947, Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier just north of Los Angeles County, at Edwards Air Force Base, where space shuttles landed from 1981 through 2009.
GPS technology blossomed from defense research in El Segundo; the internet evolved from defense research at UCLA.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2024
This likely gave rise to the popular misconception that the boom is heard only when a plane breaks the sound barrier.
—Jacek Krywko, Ars Technica, 29 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the sound barrier.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near the sound barrier
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“The sound barrier.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20sound%20barrier. Accessed 27 Sep. 2024.
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