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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
Previously, the flight was potentially going to be delayed until November, due to an environmental analysis and sonic boom analysis.
—Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Oct. 2024
Despite yesterday’s success, the booster re-entry include drawbacks such as sonic booms.
—Daniel Cote, Robb Report, 14 Oct. 2024
The military also vowed to mitigate the reach of sonic booms that often span across 100 miles of coastline, an issue that has caused controversy.
—Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2024
Boom Supersonic Lower speeds means the Overture can function over land without sonic booms and will be able to land on the same runways typical commercial aircraft like the Boeing 737 or Airbus A380 use, not needing the nearly 10,000-ft (3,048-m) landing strips that the Concorde required.
—New Atlas, 10 Oct. 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 21 Nov. 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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