dirty bomb

noun

: a bomb designed to release radioactive material

Examples of dirty bomb in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In the years after the 9/11 attacks, a new threat loomed large in the minds of policymakers and the public: the dirty bomb. William C. Potter, Foreign Affairs, 15 Dec. 2023 Last month, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu had a rare round of telephone calls with his U.S., French, U.K. and Turkish counterparts, claiming that the war in Ukraine was moving toward a more dangerous phase and that Kyiv might soon deploy a dirty bomb. Matthew Luxmoore, WSJ, 4 Nov. 2022 And Russian authorities have made numerous claims before and after the invasion that Ukraine was developing a radioactive dirty bomb. WIRED, 7 Aug. 2023 The United States, France and Britain accused Moscow of using allegations of a dirty bomb as a pretext for escalation, and warned that Putin’s government would face additional punitive action by the West. Emily Rauhala, Washington Post, 25 Oct. 2022 See all Example Sentences for dirty bomb 

Word History

First Known Use

1956, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dirty bomb was in 1956

Dictionary Entries Near dirty bomb

Cite this Entry

“Dirty bomb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dirty%20bomb. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.

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