fallout shelter
noun
: a shelter built underground to protect people from radioactive fallout
Beginning in the 1970s, curious tales began to emerge from Washington, D.C., about a "doomsday hotel." Located near the nation's capital, it was said to be the ultimate fallout shelter. But only for the well-connected.—
Popular Mechanics
Popular Mechanics
Examples of fallout shelter in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The basement, which used to be an unground fallout shelter, has also been turned into a wine cellar.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 6 July 2023
Kennedy encouraged but didn’t subsidize construction of these private bunkers (though his administration did implement a fallout shelter loan program).
—Jenn Morson, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Feb. 2023
Dorothy thinks her dad could easily have built a fallout shelter.
—Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2020
Just a few years earlier, there was the Victorville gold mine that became a fallout shelter — for a while, anyway.
—Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2021
One third-season episode, rushed into production during the Berlin Crisis of 1961, involves a suburban doctor who denies his unprepared neighbors entry into his fallout shelter on the apparent eve of nuclear war, triggering their reversion to near-savagery.
—Colin Marshall, The New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2022
The anti-nuclear movement grew out of this, and with it, pop culture images of the family fallout shelter took a turn for the cynical.
—Thomas Bishop, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Apr. 2022
Tomorrow: More tales from the crypt, er, the fallout shelter.
—John Kelly, Washington Post, 3 Nov. 2020
When Putin started talking about nuclear weapons, Narro posted a fallout shelter sign to social media.
—Deborah Netburn, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2022
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Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 6 July 2023
Kennedy encouraged but didn’t subsidize construction of these private bunkers (though his administration did implement a fallout shelter loan program).
—Jenn Morson, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Feb. 2023
Dorothy thinks her dad could easily have built a fallout shelter.
—Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2020
Just a few years earlier, there was the Victorville gold mine that became a fallout shelter — for a while, anyway.
—Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2021
One third-season episode, rushed into production during the Berlin Crisis of 1961, involves a suburban doctor who denies his unprepared neighbors entry into his fallout shelter on the apparent eve of nuclear war, triggering their reversion to near-savagery.
—Colin Marshall, The New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2022
The anti-nuclear movement grew out of this, and with it, pop culture images of the family fallout shelter took a turn for the cynical.
—Thomas Bishop, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Apr. 2022
Tomorrow: More tales from the crypt, er, the fallout shelter.
—John Kelly, Washington Post, 3 Nov. 2020
When Putin started talking about nuclear weapons, Narro posted a fallout shelter sign to social media.
—Deborah Netburn, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2022
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fallout shelter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1955, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near fallout shelter
Cite this Entry
“Fallout shelter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fallout%20shelter. Accessed 22 Sep. 2023.
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