sonic boom
noun
: a sound resembling an explosion produced when a shock wave formed at the nose of an aircraft traveling at supersonic speed reaches the ground
called also sonic bang
Examples of sonic boom in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
New aircraft designs are aimed at cutting transcontinental travel times while avoiding the disruptive sonic booms that limited earlier jets.
—
Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 17 Dec. 2025
Elon Musk’s ongoing rocket launches in Santa Barbara, California, are creating sonic booms.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2025
Meanwhile, the rover's SuperCam microphone also picked up the sounds of faint crackles and mini-sonic booms, marking the first clear recording of electrical discharge inside a Martian dust storm, according to a statement from NASA.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 10 Dec. 2025
Aviation regulations have restricted supersonic flight over land because of the sonic boom.
—Suzanne Wright, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sonic boom
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Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 17 Dec. 2025
Elon Musk’s ongoing rocket launches in Santa Barbara, California, are creating sonic booms.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2025
Meanwhile, the rover's SuperCam microphone also picked up the sounds of faint crackles and mini-sonic booms, marking the first clear recording of electrical discharge inside a Martian dust storm, according to a statement from NASA.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 10 Dec. 2025
Aviation regulations have restricted supersonic flight over land because of the sonic boom.
—Suzanne Wright, USA Today, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sonic boom
Cite this Entry
“Sonic boom.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sonic%20boom. Accessed 22 Dec. 2025.
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