atomic bomb

Definition of atomic bomb

1 : a bomb whose violent explosive power is due to the sudden release of energy resulting from the splitting of nuclei of a heavy chemical element (such as plutonium or uranium) by neutrons in a very rapid chain reaction

— called also atom bomb

2 : a nuclear weapon (such as a hydrogen bomb)

Examples of atomic bomb in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Rainsuits are a necessity and burning the dead immediately is commonplace to make sure that bodies don’t necrotize and cause atomic bomb-like phenomena called voidouts, while the U.S. is a shell of itself trying to claw its way back to normalcy. — Kahlief Adams, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Death Stranding': Game Review," 1 Nov. 2019 The 1954 blockbuster starred stegosaurus-sized ants as the greatest threat to humanity since the atomic bomb. — Elizabeth Horkley, Quartz, "Our obsession with insects in horror films says a lot about our fear of destroying the planet," 30 Oct. 2019 In 1942, the federal government chose the Hanford Reach for its first plutonium production facility, where the fuel for Fat Man and the majority of the next 60,000 atomic bombs would be refined. — Patrick Symmes, Harper's magazine, "The $68,000 Fish," 28 Oct. 2019 Roosevelt’s plan was to use America’s nuclear monopoly and economic might to secure Stalin’s compliance with the terms of the Yalta agreement, once the atomic bomb was known to be effective and the Japanese had surrendered. — Conrad Black, National Review, "Planning the Post-War World," 24 Oct. 2019 The series followed a group of scientists attempting to build the world's first atomic bomb in Los Alamos, New Mexico, and the drama that engulfed their families. — Amy Mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "Rachel Brosnahan’s Husband, Jason Ralph, Has Appeared in Some of Your Favorite Shows," 22 Sep. 2019 It’s like seeing the destruction after an atomic bomb. — Paul Moakley, Time, "'Everything Was Broken.' The Photographer Who Captured the Most Haunting Photographs of Dorian and Its Aftermath," 21 Sep. 2019 Days 10-13: Hiroshima Travel by train to Hiroshima, where U.S. forces dropped an atomic bomb toward the end of World War II, devastating the city. — National Geographic, "Japan Middle School Expedition," 10 Sep. 2019 After the first use of atomic bombs in World War II, the mayor of Miami Beach wrote President Truman asking him to look into it. — Martin Finucane, BostonGlobe.com, "President Trump denies suggesting that nukes could be used to disrupt hurricanes," 26 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'atomic bomb.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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atomic absorption spectrophotometry

atomic absorption spectroscopy

atomic constant

Statistics for atomic bomb

Last Updated

12 Nov 2019

Time Traveler for atomic bomb

The first known use of atomic bomb was in 1914

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