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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
But the liftoff, when all 33 of Super Heavy’s engines fired, wasn’t even the loudest moment—sound peaked about 6.5 minutes after launch, when the booster returned to its launch tower and caused a sonic boom.
—Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Nov. 2024
Thursday’s speech was billed as a live transmission, but audiences were given reason to doubt around 20 minutes in, when Israel dropped flares over the Lebanese capital and sent windows shaking with a fresh wave of sonic booms.
—Tamara Qiblawi, CNN, 19 Sep. 2024
For their first record together in 13 years, Mark Clifford and Sarah Peacock laid down six simmering tracks that layer decaying distortion, sticky drum pads, sonic boom bass, and vocal melodies pinched and pulled into taffy-soft tendrils.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 4 Dec. 2024
Can it be fixed? Mysterious sonic booms rattle the SoCal coast, and officials say expect more from SpaceX.
Get unlimited access to the Los Angeles Times.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1952, in the meaning defined above
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Cite this Entry
“Sonic boom.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sonic%20boom. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
sonic boom
noun
: a sound like that of an explosion produced when a shock wave formed at the nose of an aircraft traveling at supersonic speed reaches the ground
More from Merriam-Webster on sonic boom
Nglish: Translation of sonic boom for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sonic boom
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