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
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The system uses several 50 kW industrial laser units to create a single powerful beam that kills drone swarms, cruise missiles, and fast-moving threats from a long distance. Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 26 Dec. 2025 The battleships will be armed with new nuclear-capable cruise missiles to be launched from 12 cells on board. Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 23 Dec. 2025 Weapons that serve much the same purposes—smart stand-off attack, decoys, and stand-in jammers—have already existed for decades in the form of cruise missiles and decoys such as the ADM-160 MALD-X. Justin Bronk, Foreign Affairs, 15 Dec. 2025 Its goal is to defend the homeland against ballistic, hypersonic and cruise missile threats and drones. Erika I. Ritchie, Oc Register, 10 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cruise missile

Word History

First Known Use

1959, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cruise missile was in 1959

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Cite this Entry

“Cruise missile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cruise%20missile. Accessed 2 Jan. 2026.

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