nuke

1 of 2

noun

ˈnük How to pronounce nuke (audio)
ˈnyük
1
: a nuclear weapon
2
: a nuclear-powered electric generating station

nuke

2 of 2

verb

nuked; nuking

transitive verb

1
: to attack or destroy with or as if with nuclear bombs
2

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
For that reason, researchers have put forth a number of possible plans for scientists to prevent a collision – the most prominent of which is to simply launch a bunch of nukes at the asteroid. Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025 The latest nuke tech is much safer than the old systems that had problems at Chernobyl or Three Mile Island. John Seiler, Oc Register, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
Johnson raised concerns that nuking the filibuster could one day empower socialists, in an appearance on C-SPAN Thursday. Steven T. Dennis, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2025 However, nuking the asteroid could potentially create problems. Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for nuke

Word History

Etymology

Noun

by shortening and respelling from nuclear

Verb

derivative of nuke entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1958, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1962, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of nuke was in 1958

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nuke.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nuke. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on nuke

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!