nuclear winter
noun
: the chilling of climate that is hypothesized to be a consequence of nuclear war and to result from the prolonged blockage of sunlight by high-altitude dust clouds produced by nuclear explosions
Examples of nuclear winter in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In the dead of summer, nuclear winter is coming for a handful of Pac-12 schools excluded from the vicious realignment game.
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Jon Wilner | , oregonlive, 4 Aug. 2023
Working with epidemiologist Steve Luby, a professor of medicine and infectious disease, the pair focused on three familiar threats to the species — global pandemics, extreme climate change and nuclear winter — along with a fourth, newer menace: advanced artificial intelligence.
—Nitasha Tiku, Washington Post, 5 July 2023
Meanwhile, Druckmann fruitfully expands on the backstory of a key supporting player with a deeply affecting, nearly standalone flashback episode about a romance that blossoms at the end of the world, like a flower sprouting from the ashes of nuclear winter.
—A.a. Dowd, Chron, 10 Jan. 2023
Sixty years ago this month, the Cuban missile crisis plunged the world into fear of a nuclear winter, when Washington caught the Soviet Union building nuclear missile launch sites less than 100 miles from the U.S. coastline, and blockaded the island.
—Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Oct. 2022
Not when the skies go dark with the asteroid version of a nuclear winter, dust and debris covering the sun.
—Korey Haynes, Discover Magazine, 19 Nov. 2018
Textbooks describe a global firestorm and toxic fallout, followed by years of photosynthesis-blocking particulate pollution, nuclear winter and climate change.
—Eric Betz, Discover Magazine, 30 May 2018
After the nuclear winter, it has been said, bright shoots will arise from the rubble.
—Jamie Kitman, Car and Driver, 1 Jan. 2023
But what are the likely effects on global food production during a nuclear winter?
—Matt Benoit, Discover Magazine, 7 May 2022
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Jon Wilner | , oregonlive, 4 Aug. 2023
Working with epidemiologist Steve Luby, a professor of medicine and infectious disease, the pair focused on three familiar threats to the species — global pandemics, extreme climate change and nuclear winter — along with a fourth, newer menace: advanced artificial intelligence.
—Nitasha Tiku, Washington Post, 5 July 2023
Meanwhile, Druckmann fruitfully expands on the backstory of a key supporting player with a deeply affecting, nearly standalone flashback episode about a romance that blossoms at the end of the world, like a flower sprouting from the ashes of nuclear winter.
—A.a. Dowd, Chron, 10 Jan. 2023
Sixty years ago this month, the Cuban missile crisis plunged the world into fear of a nuclear winter, when Washington caught the Soviet Union building nuclear missile launch sites less than 100 miles from the U.S. coastline, and blockaded the island.
—Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Oct. 2022
Not when the skies go dark with the asteroid version of a nuclear winter, dust and debris covering the sun.
—Korey Haynes, Discover Magazine, 19 Nov. 2018
Textbooks describe a global firestorm and toxic fallout, followed by years of photosynthesis-blocking particulate pollution, nuclear winter and climate change.
—Eric Betz, Discover Magazine, 30 May 2018
After the nuclear winter, it has been said, bright shoots will arise from the rubble.
—Jamie Kitman, Car and Driver, 1 Jan. 2023
But what are the likely effects on global food production during a nuclear winter?
—Matt Benoit, Discover Magazine, 7 May 2022
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nuclear winter.' 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
1983, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near nuclear winter
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“Nuclear winter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nuclear%20winter. Accessed 21 Sep. 2023.
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More from Merriam-Webster on nuclear winter
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about nuclear winter
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