atomic bomb

noun

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

That's where the North has a plutonium reactor and a uranium enrichment facility that can produce fissile material for atomic bombs. — Matthew Pennington, Fox News, "North Korea's offer of concessions comes with a catch for US," 20 Sep. 2018 There are parallels to the pursuit of the atomic bomb during the Second World War: the weapons helped bring an end to the conflict, but introduced new and terrifying dangers to the world with their invention. — Andrew Liptak, The Verge, "From the author of The Three-Body Problem," 15 Sep. 2018 Shaw and co-creator Dusty Thomason previously worked together on Manh(a)ttan, a series set in the New Mexico military encampment of Los Alamos, detailing the birth of the atomic bomb in the 1940s. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "The slow-burn psychological horror of Castle Rock makes for must-see TV," 4 Sep. 2018 The Navy, however, needed a sleek greyhound to deliver components of the first atomic bomb to the island of Tinian in the Marianas. — Walter R. Borneman, WSJ, "‘Indianapolis’ Review: Supreme Sacriﬁce," 30 Aug. 2018 But the birth of the atomic bomb still looms in the tiny town of Los Alamos—and that will likely never change. — Paul Ross, Popular Mechanics, "I Am Become Opera: An Atomic Show In the Shadow of Los Alamos," 27 July 2018 The lights of Los Alamos, the birthplace of the atomic bomb, can be seen at night from the idyllic open-air theater of Santa Fe Opera. — Michael Cooper, New York Times, "Bringing ‘Doctor Atomic’ to the Birthplace of the Bomb," 6 July 2018 The hanger that had once housed Enola Gay, the Boeing B29 that dropped the atomic bombs that devastated Hiroshima and Nagasaki, was closed. — Anne Slowey, Condé Nast Traveler, "Fear and Self-Loathing in the American Southwest," 25 July 2018 The Prinz Eugen capsized in 1946 after being nuked—twice—during the atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "How the U.S. Is Recovering Oil from a Nuked Warship," 17 Sep. 2018

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.