nuke

noun

\ ˈnük,

ˈnyük\

Definition of nuke

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a nuclear weapon

2 : a nuclear-powered electric generating station

nuke

verb

nuked; nuking

Definition of nuke (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to attack or destroy with or as if with nuclear bombs

2 : microwave

Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about nuke

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Examples of nuke in a Sentence

Verb

a pretty sizable piece of real estate would be nuked if an asteroid struck

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

In September 2017, Pyongyang tested a nuke there that was around seven times stronger than the bomb America dropped on Hiroshima in 1945. — Alex Ward, Vox, "Why North Korea’s latest nuclear concession isn’t one at all," 8 Oct. 2018 During a quarter-century of on-off negotiations, human rights have played second fiddle for U.S. administrations seeking to ameliorate the threat posed by the North’s nukes, and there’s a reason. — Washington Post, "At Trump-Kim summit, human rights is a back-burner issue," 13 June 2018 Add up the consequences of Mr. Putin’s troops, nukes, disinformation campaigns, financial aid to populist parties—and throw in the power of his authoritarian example. — Walter Russell Mead, WSJ, "Putin Is Weak. Europe Doesn’t Have to Be," 23 July 2018 That’s a decrease of 350 nukes, or about a warhead a day. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "The U.S. and Russia Are Shrinking Their Nuclear Arsenals—But China Isn't," 19 June 2018 Every North Korea expert, along with the Pentagon, stressed that Kim would never completely divest his nukes, which guarantee his survival. — Trudy Rubin, Philly.com, "Will Trump's deal-making backfire and embroil U.S. in new wars? | Trudy Rubin," 23 May 2018 Compared to modern nuclear missiles, which are far more powerful and complex, constructing a crude gun-type nuke is fairly straightforward. — Daily Intelligencer, "This Is What a Nuclear Bomb Looks Like," 12 June 2018 Olivier Douliery-Pool/Getty Images However, South Korea doesn’t actually have its own nukes. — Alex Ward, Vox, "Trump insists things are going fine with North Korea. They’re not.," 12 Nov. 2018 Reportedly trying to save the nuke deal and telling America's enemy to wait out the Trump presidency until a Democrat is in office. — Fox News, "Diamond and Silk ride out the storm in North Carolina," 15 Sep. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Russia’s dreaded nuclear torpedo, designed to nuke entire coastal cities into oblivion and trigger tsunamis, has been sighted in tests at sea. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Russia’s Nuclear Tsunami Apocalypse Torpedo is Named 'Poseidon'," 24 July 2018 One of the biggest questions on Tumblr users’ minds is whether Tumblr can effectively carry out this policy without nuking everything in its path. — Aja Romano, Vox, "Tumblr’s adult content ban is already harming the site’s vibrant community.," 5 Dec. 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 Or, what would prevent talented players from hustling the system by nuking their game profile before placing a series of big bets? — Jake Seiner, The Seattle Times, "Esports integrity chief concerned about Fortnite gambling," 21 Nov. 2018 Those moves were unthinkable even several months ago, when the two unpredictable leaders threatened to nuke each other and traded a series of harsh personal insults. — Washington Post, "Trump-Kim summit raises new questions over South Korean role," 14 June 2018 Those moves were unthinkable even several months ago, when the two unpredictable leaders threatened to nuke each other and traded a series of harsh personal insults. — Washington Post, "Trump-Kim summit raises new questions over South Korean role," 14 June 2018 Fleas are swatted away, not nuked with presidential statements. — William Cummings, USA TODAY, "The Bubble: Michael Wolff's book a 'gift' to Trump, liberals say," 4 Jan. 2018 Those moves were unthinkable even several months ago, when the two unpredictable leaders threatened to nuke each other and traded a series of harsh personal insults. — Washington Post, "Trump-Kim summit raises new questions over South Korean role," 14 June 2018

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