subsonic
adjective
sub·son·ic
ˌsəb-ˈsä-nik 
1
: of, relating to, or being a speed less than that of sound in air
2
: moving, capable of moving, or utilizing air currents moving at a subsonic speed
Examples of subsonic in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
At subsonic speeds, the airflow around the wings, tail, and fuselage is smooth.
—
Jacek Krywko, Ars Technica, 29 Mar. 2024
Today’s regulations against sonic booms would mean subsonic Overture flights over most major land masses, throttling up only over ocean transits.
—Tim Stevens, The Verge, 22 Mar. 2024
While Russian air defenses struggled to shoot down supersonic HIMARS rockets, Storm Shadow is a subsonic cruise missile—a class of weapon that Ukraine’s own air defense system has become efficient at shooting down.
—Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 12 May 2023
The house was littered with casings from subsonic ammunition of the same brand recovered from the motel room, Avila said.
—Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2023
See all Example Sentences for subsonic 
Jacek Krywko, Ars Technica, 29 Mar. 2024
Today’s regulations against sonic booms would mean subsonic Overture flights over most major land masses, throttling up only over ocean transits.
—Tim Stevens, The Verge, 22 Mar. 2024
While Russian air defenses struggled to shoot down supersonic HIMARS rockets, Storm Shadow is a subsonic cruise missile—a class of weapon that Ukraine’s own air defense system has become efficient at shooting down.
—Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 12 May 2023
The house was littered with casings from subsonic ammunition of the same brand recovered from the motel room, Avila said.
—Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2023
See all Example Sentences for subsonic
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'subsonic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Subsonic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subsonic. Accessed 2 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
subsonic
adjective
sub·son·ic
ˌsəb-ˈsän-ik
ˈsəb-
1
: of, relating to, or being a speed less than that of sound in air
2
: moving, capable of moving, or using air currents moving at a subsonic speed
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