sonar

noun so·nar \ ˈsō-ˌnär \

|Updated on: 16 Jun 2018

Definition of sonar

: a method or device for detecting and locating objects especially underwater by means of sound waves sent out to be reflected by the objects; also : a device for detecting the presence of a vessel (such as a submarine) by the sound it emits in water

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Examples of sonar in a Sentence

They detected the submarine by using sonar.

Recent Examples of sonar from the Web

In 2003, the BBC financed a research project that mapped the entire lake using 600 sonar beams, Reuters reported.

— natalie dreier, ajc, "Could DNA finally prove, disprove Loch Ness Monster’s existence?," 23 May 2018
Late last year, the front section, wing and tail assembly of the aircraft were found under 200 feet of water, with the help of underwater robots and scanning sonars.

— megan cassidy, San Francisco Chronicle, "Bay Area airman has been missing since WWII. Now his plane has been found," 22 May 2018
The ship, first commissioned in 1968, uses sonar technology to map marine conditions.

— jessica lee, The Seattle Times, "NOAA ship crashes in Seattle’s Lake Washington Ship Canal," 19 Apr. 2018
Barney said the sheriff's office also used its jetboat, which has a sonar system.

— corina knoll, latimes.com, "Car parts and belongings of missing Valencia family found in Northern California river," 13 Apr. 2018
The unmanned underwater vehicle, operated by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), uses far-reaching sonar to identify objects on the seafloor - then circles back to take pictures of anything worthy of a closer look.

— cleve r. wootson jr., courant.com, "A robot submarine found the 'Holy Grail of shipwrecks.' It’s worth billions.," 24 May 2018
The underwater robot scanned the sea floor using long-range sonar then went back and took pictures of any objects that seemed out of the ordinary.

— CBS News, "Robot submarine finds "holy grail of shipwrecks" with up to $17 billion in treasure," 23 May 2018
The unmanned underwater vehicle, operated by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), uses far-reaching sonar to identify objects on the seafloor — then circles back to take pictures of anything worthy of a closer look.

— cleve r. wootson jr., Washington Post, "A robot submarine found the ‘Holy Grail of shipwrecks.’ It’s worth billions.," 23 May 2018
As is always the case these days, a big screen sonar is a huge help in locating the fish, and cats of 50 pounds and up can make a significant signature on the machines.

— frank sargeant, AL.com, "Time for whopper blue cats in Lake Wheeler," 23 Jan. 2018

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