grenade

noun

gre·​nade grə-ˈnād How to pronounce grenade (audio)
: a small missile that contains an explosive or a chemical agent (such as tear gas, a flame producer, or a smoke producer) and that is thrown by hand or projected (as by a rifle or special launcher)

Examples of grenade in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The regime glorified one 13-year-old boy who strapped grenades to his body and threw himself under an enemy tank; his face appeared on postage stamps and banknotes. Elan Journo, Oc Register, 10 Mar. 2026 The mayor described the protests as peaceful and criticized federal officers’ use of pepper balls, flash-bang grenades and rubber bullets. Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 10 Mar. 2026 And when the British army brought their trench coats to the continent, they were kitted out in military features like shoulder epaulettes for indicating rank insignia and metal D-rings that could hold maps, swords (and supposedly) grenades. Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 9 Mar. 2026 With the threat of the extreme right rumbling across its six seasons, Knight finally brings the Peaky Blinders’ ultimate nemesis — the Nazis — within a hand grenade’s distance. Miriam Balanescu, IndieWire, 5 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for grenade

Word History

Etymology

Middle French, literally, pomegranate, from Late Latin granata, from Latin, feminine of granatus seedy, from granum grain — more at corn

First Known Use

1591, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of grenade was in 1591

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Grenade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grenade. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

grenade

noun
gre·​nade grə-ˈnād How to pronounce grenade (audio)
: a small bomb that is thrown by hand or launched (as by a rifle)
Etymology

from early French grenade, granade "pomegranate, grenade," from Latin granata "pomegranate," derived from Latin granatus "seedy," from granum "grain, seed" — related to garnet, grain, pomegranate see Word History at garnet

More from Merriam-Webster on grenade

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster