cruise missile
noun
: a guided missile that has a terrain-following radar system and that flies at moderate speed and low altitude
Examples of cruise missile in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
More recently, thousands of Stingers have been sent to Ukraine to counter Russian cruise missiles and helicopters.
—
David Szondy
february 08, New Atlas, 8 Feb. 2026
This puts it safely within the light cruise missile-grade of loitering munitions, suggesting it is probably intended for use against hardened or high-value targets.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 4 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, the destroyers bring with them hundreds of missiles, which could include dozens of Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles.
—Konstantin Toropin, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said more than 300 drones, along with ballistic and cruise missiles, struck eight regions overnight Tuesday.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cruise missile
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.
David Szondy
february 08, New Atlas, 8 Feb. 2026
This puts it safely within the light cruise missile-grade of loitering munitions, suggesting it is probably intended for use against hardened or high-value targets.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 4 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, the destroyers bring with them hundreds of missiles, which could include dozens of Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles.
—Konstantin Toropin, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said more than 300 drones, along with ballistic and cruise missiles, struck eight regions overnight Tuesday.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cruise missile
Cite this Entry
“Cruise missile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cruise%20missile. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
