megaton

noun

mega·​ton ˈme-gə-ˌtən 

: an explosive force equivalent to that of one million tons of TNT

Examples of megaton in a Sentence

an atomic explosion with a force of several megatons

Recent Examples on the Web

The explosion yielded an energy equivalent of 10 megatons of TNT, an amount roughly 1,000 times as large as that released by the Hiroshima bomb The other states with nuclear weapons are Britain, China, France, India, Israel and Pakistan. —Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 6 Aug. 2025

The largest nuclear weapon in the US arsenal has a yield of 1.2 megatons, 80 times greater than the Hiroshima bomb. —Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 5 Aug. 2025

Should the collision occur, the energy released would be substantial—equivalent to 6.5 megatons of TNT. —Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 July 2025

It was detonated in a test codenamed Ivy Mike at Enewetak Atoll in November 1952, yielding 10.4 megatons of TNT, the measurement that quantifies the force of nuclear weapons. —/ Cbs News, CBS News, 14 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1952, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for megaton

• anyone
• everyone
• overdone
• overrun
• povidone
• trazodone
• begun
• grandson
• gudrun
• handgun
• homespun
• outdone

Kids Definition

megaton

noun

mega·​ton ˈmeg-ə-ˌtən 

: an explosive force equal to that of one million tons of TNT