strong force

noun

Definition of strong force

: a fundamental physical force that acts on hadrons and is responsible for the binding together of protons and neutrons in the atomic nucleus and for processes of particle creation in high-energy collisions and that is the strongest known fundamental physical force but acts only over distances comparable to those between nucleons in an atomic nucleus

— called also strong interaction, strong nuclear force

— compare electromagnetism sense 2a, gravity sense 3a(2), weak force

Examples of strong force in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But the theory of the strong force, called quantum chromodynamics (QCD), is so complicated that no one has been able to predict exactly how matter will behave at high temperatures and densities. — Quanta Magazine, "Physicists Peer Inside a Fireball of Quantum Matter," 30 July 2019 Your support of independent local journalism -- through your subscription or your support of our advertisers -- helps us remain a strong force for good. — oregonlive.com, "Journalistic impact can be measured in new laws, proposed reforms: Editor’s notebook," 23 Aug. 2019 Bosons include photons, the particles of light and the force carriers of electromagnetism, and gluons, the particles that convey the strong force. — Philip Ball, Scientific American, "Supergravity Snags Super Award: $3-Million Special Breakthrough Prize," 6 Aug. 2019 The legislation passed by both the House and Senate to ensure that public sector unions remain a strong force for economic fairness in the wake of the Janus Supreme Court ruling received overwhelming bipartisan support after a thorough debate. — Matt Murphy, BostonGlobe.com, "Governor Baker vetoes labor bill over cellphone privacy concerns," 2 Aug. 2019 The rest of its mass derives from the energy involved in gluing the three quarks together, a stickiness known as the strong force that is conveyed by particles called gluons. — Quanta Magazine, "Quark Quartet Fuels Quantum Feud," 27 Aug. 2014 Quarks cling to one another through the strong force so mightily they cannot be isolated. — Adrian Cho, Science | AAAS, "Exotic particles called pentaquarks may be less weird than previously thought," 5 June 2019 The deal, which has an equity value of $9.6 billion and is slated to close in the third quarter, would make the nation’s largest owner of local television stations a stronger force in cable programming. ... — Aisha Al-muslim, WSJ, "Sinclair Revenue Rises as It Bets Big on Sports," 8 May 2019 Quark-gluon plasma: A state in which protons and neutrons dissolve into their constituent quarks, which can move freely among particles called gluons that carry the strong force. — Adam Mann, National Geographic, "Confirmed: New phase of matter is solid and liquid at the same time," 8 Apr. 2019

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

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about strong force

Dictionary Entries near strong force

Statistics for strong force

Last Updated

11 Oct 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for strong force

The first known use of strong force was in 1964

See more words from the same year

Comments on strong force

What made you want to look up strong force? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

WORD OF THE DAY

comprise

to be made up of

Test Your Vocabulary

Word Puzzles

Which answer pairs best with each of the following words? living, estate, club, music, road, mile

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ

Dictionary Devil

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ