To save this word, you'll need to log in.
Definition of shock wave
1 : a compressional wave of high amplitude caused by a shock (as from an earthquake or explosion) to the medium through which the wave travels
2 : a violent often pulsating disturbance or reaction
shock waves of rebellion
Examples of shock wave in a Sentence
The decision created a shock wave of criticism.
Recent Examples on the Web The CityXGuide case, which sent an unwelcome shock wave through its seedy online community, reflects almost two years of work by Nealy Cox’s office, which operates in a state that serves as a human trafficking hub.
—
Sharon Grigsby, Dallas News, "Feds rescue a 13-year-old girl from sex trafficker and take down online successor to Dallas’ notorious Backpage site," 24 June 2020 Cotton's op-ed created a shock wave of condemnation from New York Times employees who said his views put black staffers at the paper's lives in danger.
—
Mica Soellner, Washington Examiner, "Tom Cotton returns to New York Times with anti-Biden ads," 10 June 2020 The president’s announcement sent shock waves through the political and medical community, with many denouncing the move.
—
Emma Colton, Washington Examiner, "'We really do not know': NHS staff to test hydroxychloroquine as coronavirus preventative measure," 21 May 2020 Economic shock waves from the coronavirus pandemic and shelter-in-place orders continue to devastate American workers, as 3.8 million people filed new unemployment claims last week, the U.S. Labor Department said Thursday.
—
Carolyn Said, SFChronicle.com, "Coronavirus unemployment: 3.8 million new claims last week," 30 Apr. 2020 Typical supersonic aircraft create a sonic boom when shock waves from the nose and tail merge; because of the X-59’s distinctive shape, those two ripples never do that, so the resulting sound is more like far-away thunder or a dull thump.
—
Popular Science, "The most impressive aerospace innovations of 2019," 3 Dec. 2019 The coronavirus, which sent shock waves through supply chains in Asia, along with growing tensions with the Chinese government, has added new pressures for government action, industry executives said.
—
Don Clark, New York Times, "T.S.M.C. Is Set to Build a U.S. Chip Facility, a Win for Trump," 14 May 2020 Any problem there would be enough to send shock waves through global financial markets and Europe’s weakened banking system.
—
Viktoria Dendrinou, Bloomberg.com, "Italy’s Broken Finances Bring Back Fears of Messy Euro Divorce," 13 May 2020 His death sends shock waves through the coastal fishing business.
—
Lawrence Specker | Lspecker@al.com, al, "A timeline of Deepwater Horizon disaster in Alabama," 19 Apr. 2020
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'shock wave.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on shock wave
What made you want to look up shock wave? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Original Meanings Quiz
- Which of the following is the earliest known sense of the word awe?
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Share shock wave
Time Traveler for shock wave
The first known use of shock wave was in 1907
See more words from the same year