cluster bomb

noun

: a canister of small individual bombs that is dropped from an aircraft

Examples of cluster bomb in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web After he was rescued and taken a few hundred meters back from the front line, he was hit by shrapnel from a cluster bomb. Sugam Pokharel, CNN, 11 Feb. 2024 And we're told this is one of many Russian cluster bombs found here in the Kharkiv area. CBS News, 9 July 2023 All of this adds to the skepticism of humanitarian groups, who warn that cluster bombs have already killed and will kill more civilians in this conflict. Noah Robertson, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 July 2023 Western officials say Russia already uses cluster bombs, which Russia denies. John Bacon, USA TODAY, 20 July 2023 Providing the cluster bombs will also ease the pressure on limited U.S. ammunition stockpiles. Time, 8 July 2023 Experts say cluster bombs have an immense capacity to cause destruction. Time, 6 July 2023 In July, the U.S. agreed to send thousands of cluster bombs to Ukraine. Lolita C. Baldor The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2023 The cluster bombs help Kyiv hold the line, for the time being. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 24 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cluster bomb.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1967, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cluster bomb was in 1967

Dictionary Entries Near cluster bomb

Cite this Entry

“Cluster bomb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cluster%20bomb. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on cluster bomb

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!