nuke

1 of 2

noun

ˈnük 

ˈnyük

1

: a nuclear weapon

2

: a nuclear-powered electric generating station

nuke

2 of 2

verb

nuked; nuking

transitive verb

1

: to attack or destroy with or as if with nuclear bombs

2

: microwave

Synonyms

Verb

• annihilate
• cream
• decimate
• demolish
• desolate
• destroy
• devastate
• do in
• extinguish
• pull down
• pulverize
• raze
• rub out
• ruin
• shatter
• smash
• tear down
• total
• vaporize
• waste
• wrack
• wreck

Examples of nuke in a Sentence

Verb

a pretty sizable piece of real estate would be nuked if an asteroid struck

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Tribes wielding spears and scrolls grow into global empires equipped with nukes and blue jeans. —Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2025

China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, Israel, Great Britain, and France also have nukes. —David Faris, Newsweek, 3 Feb. 2025

Verb

What would fallout look like if Trump nuked the Education Department? —Peter Cordi, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 11 Feb. 2025

Such a move would be akin to nuking the legislative filibuster, the new Republican leader said. —Ross O'Keefe, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 6 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

by shortening and respelling from nuclear

Verb

derivative of nuke entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1958, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1962, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for nuke

• fluke
• juke
• kook
• luc
• luke
• puke
• souk
• spook
• archduke
• rebuke
• caoutchouc