dive-bomb

verb

dive-bombed; dive-bombing; dive-bombs

transitive verb

: to bomb from an airplane by making a steep dive toward the target before releasing the bomb
dive-bomber noun

Examples of dive-bomb in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web After all, this is what the immune system naturally does, patrolling every organ to suppress infections, dive-bomb nascent tumors, or heal wounds, while retaining memory of past wars. Jason Mast, STAT, 18 Oct. 2023 A day later, after the crew had collected some debris from the water and reported the incident, a third drone dive-bombed the roof of the ship’s control room, this time detonating an explosive that ripped through the structure, killing two members of its crew. Will Knight, WIRED, 25 July 2023 It’s happened to us all: a pleasant moment outdoors is dive-bombed by that all-too-familiar high-pitched buzz of mosquitoes. Samson McDougall, Health, 17 July 2023 Weeks later, their train to London is dive-bombed by the Luftwaffe. Heller McAlpin, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 May 2023 There’s also uniquely San Diego scenes from seagulls dive-bombing a wedding on the beach to a Lego figure sunbathing on a yacht near the Hotel del Coronado. Natallie Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dive-bomb.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1935, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dive-bomb was in 1935

Dictionary Entries Near dive-bomb

Cite this Entry

“Dive-bomb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dive-bomb. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

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