MISSILES Synonyms: 19 Similar and Opposite Words

missiles

noun

plural of missile

as in ammunitions

an object that is thrown, shot, or launched as a weapon The protesters were arrested for throwing missiles at the police.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

blanks

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of missiles Then, as the frenzied funeral events reached their climax, US bombs and missiles struck across the country in retaliation at Iranian strikes on civilian shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 11 July 2026 Traditional surface-to-air missiles are often too costly to engage inexpensive drones, prompting defence companies to develop dedicated interceptor UAVs that are faster, more affordable, and capable of hit-to-kill engagements. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 10 July 2026 Faced with delays in deliveries of missiles from the US, countries including Australia, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan have all begun upgrading domestic military manufacturing capacity, Nikkei reported. — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 10 July 2026 Trump added that his administration had not yet informed the manufacturers of the missiles, Raytheon and Lockheed Martin. — Jamie Gray, NBC news, 9 July 2026 Under the banner of resisting the West, Khamenei defied sanctions to build up the country’s nuclear program, its arsenal of missiles and its network of militant allies across the region. — ABC News, 9 July 2026 Payloads included two satellites for the Missile Defense Agency to track hypersonic missiles and four more satellites for the Tranche 0 constellation for the Space Development Agency. — Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 July 2026 Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 74 missiles and 496 drones overnight, according to Reuters. — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026 In all, Russia fired 74 missiles and 496 drones in the attack, Ukraine’s air force said. — Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for missiles

Noun

Roughly a month before Kirk’s killing, Twiggs said Robinson asked for a Dremel, a tool used for sanding or grinding, to engrave bullets for an upcoming family hunting trip.

— Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
Without superpowers or magic to fall back on, heroes had to rely on little more than implausible levels of ingenuity and resilience, a capacity to dodge bullets/laser fire, and a gift for making the right quip at the right time.

— Richard Edwards, Space.com, 11 July 2026

Definition of bullets

Noun

Raynaud attempted only two shots and didn’t make either one while committing five turnovers in nine scoreless minutes.

— Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 15 July 2026
One of the best things about this episode’s edit is the sharp contrast between the players’ breathless race up and down the line of rooms and shots of the more relaxed atmosphere in any room that isn’t actively in use.

— Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 14 July 2026

Definition of shots

Noun

The draft will resume Sunday and run 20 rounds, giving the Cubs more chances to restock their farm system with young pitchers.

— Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 12 July 2026
Adams, 25, started the Group A fixtures against Mexico and the Czech Republic, and came off the bench in the 1-0 win over South Korea that earned the side a first ever place in the knockout rounds, where they were beaten by Canada.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 11 July 2026

Definition of rounds

Noun

The capital’s traditional Independence Day show had 10,000 shells lasting 18 minutes.

— Bart Jansen, USA Today, 5 July 2026
Organizers said the display featured three times as many fireworks shells as in previous years — the largest fireworks Stars & Stripes show to date.

— Sophia Buonpane, Kansas City Star, 5 July 2026

Definition of shells

Noun

The buzzy, balls-to-the-wall sci-fi action-thriller shook up a slumbering Cannes earlier this year with a late night slot in Competition, emerging with many already declaring the 160-minute film to be a cult classic.

— Alex Ritman, Variety, 9 July 2026
Brook, the England captain, smashed 79 not out off only 35 balls, with eight fours and four sixes.

— ABC News, ABC News, 9 July 2026

Definition of balls

Browse Nearby Words

missile

missiles

missing

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Missiles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/missiles. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of missiles

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on missiles

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

loquacious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes