Molotov cocktail

noun

Mo·​lo·​tov cocktail ˈmä-lə-ˌtȯf- How to pronounce Molotov cocktail (audio)
ˈmȯ-,
ˈmō-,
-ˌtȯv-
: a crude bomb made of a bottle filled with a flammable liquid (such as gasoline) and usually fitted with a wick (such as a saturated rag) that is ignited just before the bottle is hurled

Examples of Molotov cocktail in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Terrence Wise, 54, who’s awaiting sentencing in a Molotov cocktail firebombing case, is the latest in a series of inmates subjected to what defense attorneys and judges describe as grievous medical mistreatment at the Sunset Park federal jail. John Annese, New York Daily News, 9 July 2024 As senators clashed over the bill inside Congress on June 12, thousands of protesters poured into the streets outside, burning cars and throwing Molotov cocktails as hundreds of federal security forces pushed back with rounds of tear gas and water cannons. Isabel Debre, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 June 2024 In 2009, workers at Ssangyong Motor Co. took control of a plant for months, using iron pipes and Molotov cocktails to battle police armed with tear gas and water cannons. Rachel Ventresca, Fortune Asia, 7 June 2024 He was recruited as part of an extortion scheme to hurl four Molotov cocktails at the Magnum Automotive Body Shop on March 22, 2022, torching several luxury vehicles, Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Silverberg wrote in a December sentencing memo. John Annese, New York Daily News, 30 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for Molotov cocktail 

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

Word History

Etymology

Vyacheslav M. Molotov

First Known Use

1940, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Molotov cocktail was in 1940

Dictionary Entries Near Molotov cocktail

Cite this Entry

“Molotov cocktail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Molotov%20cocktail. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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