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A sonic boom is an explosive sound created by a shock wave formed at the nose of an aircraft. In 1947 a plane piloted by Chuck Yeager burst the "sound barrier" and created the first sonic boom. In the decades afterward sonic booms became a familiar sound to Americans. (Because of steps that were eventually taken, sonic booms are rarely heard anymore.) Today sonic is often used by ambitious rock musicians to describe their experimental sounds.
Examples of sonic in a Sentence
Hannah Summerhill, Vogue, 15 Sep. 2023
For Bed Maker, that means an interest in performing at nontraditional venues where sonic exploration is not only allowable but required.
—Chris Kelly, Washington Post, 13 Sep. 2023
As if potting up channels on a studio mixing board, the sounds blended into a symphony that soon blossomed into a sonic fullness, the soundtrack of a river in repose.
—Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2023
To ensure the album reached its full sonic potential, Persia enlisted the expertise of mixing engineer George Seara, known for his work with industry heavyweights like Taylor Swift, Drake, and Shawn Mendes.
—Shelby Stewart, Essence, 6 Sep. 2023
That’s all there is to it — and even that plot doesn’t matter in a work that more or less eschews plot altogether to focus on pure visual and sonic sensations, certainly to the detriment of anyone looking for a good story.
—Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Sep. 2023
For this visual feast, producers banked on comedic actor Jon Pertwee to pick up the baton, or sonic screwdriver.
—Cameron K McEwan, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Aug. 2023
Christian Walls, 29, has been selling T-shirts and hats from a kiosk next to the Old State House for seven years, battling for sonic space for the last two.
—Daniel Kool, BostonGlobe.com, 19 Aug. 2023
Perhaps that’s the reason that Nas adopted Bad Boy’s glossier sonic approach on his sophomore album, along with his new kingpin persona Nas Escobar.
—Al Shipley, Spin, 18 Aug. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sonic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
1918, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing sonic
Dictionary Entries Near sonic
Cite this Entry
“Sonic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sonic. Accessed 23 Sep. 2023.
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sonic
adjective
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sonic
adjective
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