shock wave

noun

Updated on: 10 May 2018

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

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Examples of shock wave in a Sentence

The decision created a shock wave of criticism.

Recent Examples of shock wave from the Web

The announcement sent shock waves through Wall Street and among large U.S. grocery chains, which cited Amazon’s already extensive online ordering and home-delivery infrastructure.

— mark glover, sacbee, "Amazon launches area delivery of Whole Foods Market products | The Sacramento Bee," 24 Apr. 2018
Raúl Castro, 86, was expected to step aside as Cuba’s president this week, ending the epochal run of two brothers who sent shock waves through 20th-century politics.

— rick noack, Washington Post, "How France wants to ‘reform’ Islam, and 6 other global stories you might have missed," 19 Apr. 2018
His Liverpool side claimed an impressive 5-1 aggregate win over fellow English side Manchester City - a win which sent shock waves through Europe.

— SI.com, "Liverpool Star Mohamed Salah Reveals What He'd Give Up for Liverpool to Win the Champions League," 16 Apr. 2018
These were the last normal moments in a day that would change her life, leave its mark on an entire community, and send shock waves across and beyond the state.

— samme chittum, Smithsonian, "What Happened When a Southern Airways Flight 242 Crashed in Sadie Burkhalter’s Front Yard," 26 Mar. 2018
The interplanetary shock wave arrival could be seen in NOAA’s real-time measurement of the solar wind.

— angela fritz, Washington Post, "A solar shock wave cracked Earth’s magnetic field last night, but everything is fine," 20 Apr. 2018
They also can be formed by a shock wave impact that creates a temporary high-pressure and high-temperature environment.

— deborah netburn, latimes.com, "One of the solar system’s early planets didn’t survive, but its diamonds are now on Earth," 17 Apr. 2018
Five other people, including the bus driver, two coaches, a volunteer statistician and a broadcaster, also died in the accident, which has sent shock waves through the hockey world and beyond.

— des bieler, chicagotribune.com, "#PutYourSticksOut: Heartbreaking tribute to Humboldt crash victims goes viral," 11 Apr. 2018
House Speaker Paul Ryan’s decision Wednesday not to seek re-election sent shock waves through Washington that rippled to California.

— joe garofoli, San Francisco Chronicle, "How Paul Ryan’s retirement will affect California politics," 11 Apr. 2018

These 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.

First Known Use of shock wave

1907

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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SHOCK WAVE Defined for English Language Learners

shock wave

noun

Definition of shock wave for English Language Learners

: a movement of extremely high air pressure that is caused by an explosion, an earthquake, etc.
: a usually negative response or reaction that many people have to a particular thing

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See words that rhyme with shock wave Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about shock wave

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Definition of shock wave

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