plural ICBM's or ICBMs ˌī-ˌsē-(ˌ)bē-ˈemz How to pronounce ICBM (audio)
: an intercontinental ballistic missile

Examples of ICBM in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Over War Game Concerns How U.S. Minuteman III Tests Stack Up Against Russia's ICBM Track Record Some suggest that the plane suffered a mechanical failure of some kind, while other, more conspiratorial, theories claim that staff aboard the flight planned to hijack the plane for other purposes. Matt Robison, Newsweek, 24 Feb. 2025 While Beijing has never disclosed the size of its nuclear arsenal, Chinese leader Xi Jinping last year ordered the acceleration of strategic deterrence force development, as the military conducted a rare test launch of a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 June 2025 The United States has conducted another successful test of an unarmed but nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), while Russia reportedly canceled its own test. Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 May 2025 Originally designed as an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the Atlas F was later repurposed to launch satellites, including Parcae. IEEE Spectrum, 21 Jan. 2025 Ukrainian officials say Russia launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) for the first time. Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 21 Nov. 2024 Late last week, Russia's military planned to launch a Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on a test flight from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome. Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 27 Sep. 2024 The United States first deployed it in 1970 with the Minuteman III ICBM, according to the National Museum of the US Air Force. Brad Lendon, CNN, 12 Mar. 2024 Air Force Global Strike Command test launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Fox News, 6 Sep. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1955, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ICBM was in 1955

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Cite this Entry

“ICBM.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ICBM. Accessed 31 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

: an intercontinental ballistic missile
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