Molotov cocktail

noun

Mo·​lo·​tov cocktail ˈmä-lə-ˌtȯf- 

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

Activist groups seeking to pause or slow the development of AI are disavowing violence after a person with strong anti-AI views was accused of attacking Sam Altman’s San Francisco residence with a Molotov cocktail Friday. —Jared Perlo, NBC news, 15 Apr. 2026

Continue reading … COPYCAT RISK — Molotov cocktail attack on Sam Altman's home sparks fears of similar strikes against tech executives. —FOXNews.com, 14 Apr. 2026

On Friday, a 20-year-old man who had reportedly publicized anti-AI thoughts on a personal Substack allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail at Altman’s San Francisco home in the middle of the night. —Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 14 Apr. 2026

The following month, a man used a flamethrower and Molotov cocktail to attack a demonstration for Israeli hostages held in Gaza in Colorado. —Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 14 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Vyacheslav M. Molotov

First Known Use

1940, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for Molotov cocktail

• abigail
• cottontail
• countervail
• fingernail
• martingale
• mesoscale
• microscale
• monorail
• nanoscale
• ponytail
• swallowtail
• wensleydale