interceptor
noun
in·ter·cep·tor
ˌin-tər-ˈsep-tər 
variants
or less commonly intercepter
: one that intercepts
specifically
: a light high-speed fast-climbing fighter plane or missile designed for defense against raiding bombers or missiles
Examples of interceptor in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Traditional interceptors struggle in such scenarios.
—
Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 2 Apr. 2026
Crews aboard the flying command center can direct fighter-interceptors to those targets.
—Sig Christenson, San Antonio Express-News, 1 Apr. 2026
The Patriot interceptors being consumed against Iranian targets are the same air defense systems Kyiv depends on.
—Joseph Epstein, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, controllers aboard the AWACS can direct interceptor fighter jets to incoming threats or send attack aircraft to support ground troops under fire.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for interceptor
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.
Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 2 Apr. 2026
Crews aboard the flying command center can direct fighter-interceptors to those targets.
—Sig Christenson, San Antonio Express-News, 1 Apr. 2026
The Patriot interceptors being consumed against Iranian targets are the same air defense systems Kyiv depends on.
—Joseph Epstein, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, controllers aboard the AWACS can direct interceptor fighter jets to incoming threats or send attack aircraft to support ground troops under fire.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for interceptor
Cite this Entry
“Interceptor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/interceptor. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
interceptor
noun
in·ter·cep·tor
ˌint-ər-ˈsep-tər
: one that intercepts
especially
: a fast fighter plane designed for defense against bombers
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
