airburst

noun

air·​burst ˈer-ˌbərst How to pronounce airburst (audio)
variants or air burst
: the burst of a shell or bomb in the air

Examples of airburst in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
But previous experience from WWII shows just how effective this type of airburst weapon is. David Hambling, Forbes, 4 Sep. 2024 Tall el-Hammam may have been destroyed by a massive cosmic airburst and may have been the biblical Sodom. Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 21 Jan. 2022 However, some astronomers wonder if these accounts describe a Tunguska-style airburst that leveled a city. Eric Betz, Discover Magazine, 28 May 2020 North Korea’s military simulated a nuclear airburst with two tactical ballistic missiles equipped with mock warheads during Monday’s training, while testing a nuclear-capable underwater attack drone again on March 25-27, KCNA said in separate dispatches. Reuters, NBC News, 28 Mar. 2023 See all Example Sentences for airburst 

Word History

First Known Use

1914, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of airburst was in 1914

Dictionary Entries Near airburst

Cite this Entry

“Airburst.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/airburst. Accessed 15 Nov. 2024.

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