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 Explosions were heard in Jerusalem, alongside sonic booms, indicating the activation of Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system. —

William Booth, Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2023 As the Cessna flew over Washington, D.C., the military scrambled a fighter jet that caused a loud sonic boom that was heard across the capital region. —

Stephen Sorace, Fox News, 5 June 2023 The North American Aerospace Defense Command later said in a statement that the F-16 was authorized to travel at supersonic speeds, which caused a sonic boom that was heard in Washington and parts of Virginia and Maryland. —

Michael Balsamo and Ashley Thomas, Anchorage Daily News, 5 June 2023 The exhaust system fills the interior with sonic boom at certain speeds. —

Patrick Bedard, Car and Driver, 16 Apr. 2023 The sonic boom was caused when the F-16s his supersonic speeds. —

Tracey Harrington McCoy, Peoplemag, 5 June 2023 The aircraft was intercepted by F-16 fighters Sunday afternoon, causing sonic booms heard across the Washington region, and the fighters also fired flares to get the pilot’s attention, according to officials. —

USA TODAY, 5 June 2023 After the unresponsive plane was flown over restricted airspace, the U.S military deployed fighter jets to intercept the plane, which caused a sonic boom in the area. —

Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 5 June 2023 Reports of the fireball were followed by multiple sonic booms and reports of debris on radar. —

Leada Gore | Lgore@al.com, al, 18 Apr. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sonic boom.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.