thermonuclear
adjective
ther·mo·nu·cle·ar
ˌthər-mō-ˈnü-klē-ər 
-ˈnyü-,
nonstandard
-ˈn(y)ü-kyə-lər
1
: of, relating to, or employing transformations in the nuclei of atoms of low atomic weight (such as hydrogen) that require a very high temperature for their inception (as in the hydrogen bomb or in the sun)
thermonuclear reaction
thermonuclear weapon
2
: of, utilizing, or relating to a thermonuclear bomb
thermonuclear war
a thermonuclear attack
Examples of thermonuclear in a Sentence
Hydrogen bombs are thermonuclear weapons.
Recent Examples on the Web
When this gas goes through the thermonuclear runaway process (the explosion in the nova), the lack of these elements is amplified, leading to a lower abundance in the explosion's remnants.
—
Victoria Corless, Space.com, 20 Mar. 2025
During the final stages in the life of a gargantuan star, its death throes culminate in a powerful thermonuclear blast — a supernova — that typically destroys the celestial object, unleashing material and radiation.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 20 Mar. 2025
Dense clumps of primordial hydrogen and helium left over from the big bang collapsed under their own gravitational weight, igniting thermonuclear chain reactions at their cores that would light up the universe for the first time.
—Conor Feehly, Scientific American, 4 Mar. 2025
This recurrent nova, located approximately 3,000 light-years away in the constellation Corona Borealis, was predicted to explode in a thermonuclear eruption between April and September 2024.
—Jamie Carter, Space.com, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for thermonuclear
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Victoria Corless, Space.com, 20 Mar. 2025
During the final stages in the life of a gargantuan star, its death throes culminate in a powerful thermonuclear blast — a supernova — that typically destroys the celestial object, unleashing material and radiation.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 20 Mar. 2025
Dense clumps of primordial hydrogen and helium left over from the big bang collapsed under their own gravitational weight, igniting thermonuclear chain reactions at their cores that would light up the universe for the first time.
—Conor Feehly, Scientific American, 4 Mar. 2025
This recurrent nova, located approximately 3,000 light-years away in the constellation Corona Borealis, was predicted to explode in a thermonuclear eruption between April and September 2024.
—Jamie Carter, Space.com, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for thermonuclear
Cite this Entry
“Thermonuclear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thermonuclear. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
thermonuclear
adjective
ther·mo·nu·cle·ar
ˌthər-mō-ˈn(y)ü-klē-ər
: of or relating to the transformations in the nucleus of atoms of low atomic weight (as hydrogen) that require a very high temperature (as in the hydrogen bomb or in the sun)
a thermonuclear reaction
a thermonuclear weapon
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