unidentified flying object
noun
plural unidentified flying objects
: a mysterious flying object in the sky that is sometimes assumed to be a spaceship from another planet : UFO
Three unidentified flying objects shot down from North American airspace could turn out to be balloons used for research or commercial purposes that posed no direct threat to the U.S., a White House spokesman said Tuesday.—
Candy Woodall et al.
Candy Woodall et al.called also UAP, unidentified aerial phenomenon, unidentified anomalous phenomenon
Examples of unidentified flying object in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The system’s radar and infrared cameras capture information about each unidentified flying object’s velocity, size, altitude, and so forth.
—IEEE Spectrum, 28 June 2017
In 1976: Two F-4 Phantom II jets of the Imperial Iranian Air Force encountered an unidentified flying object over Tehran.
—Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 20 Sep. 2024
Their findings lead them to uncover a conspiracy, and, most intriguingly, reports of an unidentified flying object.
—Kevin Jacobsen, EW.com, 22 June 2024
No credible evidence exists that U.S. authorities covered up extraterrestrial life, in the form of unidentified flying objects, even if some Americans firmly believe in UFOs, a Pentagon report said Friday.
—David K. Li, NBC News, 8 Mar. 2024
But over the last few decades, as science and mass media have expanded, the obsession with unidentified flying objects and possible extraterrestrial life has exploded.
—Kelsey Klimara, ABC News, 19 Jan. 2024
Earlier today, three witnesses came before Congress to testify about their experiences with unidentified flying objects.
—Marina Koren, The Atlantic, 26 July 2023
Reports like this of unidentified flying objects in the 1950s and 1960s fueled controversy and attention for Area 51.
—Christopher Nichols, The Conversation, 14 Aug. 2023
The United States military is capable of many things, but finding the remnants of an unidentified flying object scattered across a blinding expanse of Arctic ice in minus-30-degree weather using six available hours of daylight is not one of them.
—Katie Rogers, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2023
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.
IEEE Spectrum, 28 June 2017
In 1976: Two F-4 Phantom II jets of the Imperial Iranian Air Force encountered an unidentified flying object over Tehran.
—Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 20 Sep. 2024
Their findings lead them to uncover a conspiracy, and, most intriguingly, reports of an unidentified flying object.
—Kevin Jacobsen, EW.com, 22 June 2024
No credible evidence exists that U.S. authorities covered up extraterrestrial life, in the form of unidentified flying objects, even if some Americans firmly believe in UFOs, a Pentagon report said Friday.
—David K. Li, NBC News, 8 Mar. 2024
But over the last few decades, as science and mass media have expanded, the obsession with unidentified flying objects and possible extraterrestrial life has exploded.
—Kelsey Klimara, ABC News, 19 Jan. 2024
Earlier today, three witnesses came before Congress to testify about their experiences with unidentified flying objects.
—Marina Koren, The Atlantic, 26 July 2023
Reports like this of unidentified flying objects in the 1950s and 1960s fueled controversy and attention for Area 51.
—Christopher Nichols, The Conversation, 14 Aug. 2023
The United States military is capable of many things, but finding the remnants of an unidentified flying object scattered across a blinding expanse of Arctic ice in minus-30-degree weather using six available hours of daylight is not one of them.
—Katie Rogers, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2023
Articles Related to unidentified flying object
Dictionary Entries Near unidentified flying object
Cite this Entry
“Unidentified flying object.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unidentified%20flying%20object. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share