shock wave
noun
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 waveforms of those signals serve as an audio fingerprint—in this case, evidence for two black holes spiraling inward toward each other and merging in a massive collision event, sending powerful shock waves across spacetime.
—
Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2025
The announced memorandum therefore sent shock waves through the industry.
—Scott Montgomery, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
But the sight of the Qatari night sky lighting up with interceptor fire and missile debris falling in Doha nevertheless caused shock waves in the Gulf.
—Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2025
El Capitan, the fastest supercomputer in the world, can now simulate extreme events like shock waves or fluid mixing at high speed in a way that looks much closer to reality than ever before.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shock wave
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Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2025
The announced memorandum therefore sent shock waves through the industry.
—Scott Montgomery, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
But the sight of the Qatari night sky lighting up with interceptor fire and missile debris falling in Doha nevertheless caused shock waves in the Gulf.
—Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2025
El Capitan, the fastest supercomputer in the world, can now simulate extreme events like shock waves or fluid mixing at high speed in a way that looks much closer to reality than ever before.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shock wave
Cite this Entry
“Shock wave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shock%20wave. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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