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
The next night, Russia fired nineteen ballistic missiles, twenty-five cruise missiles, and six hundred and fifty-nine drones.
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Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2026
In fact, recent US operations in places like Iran have relied heavily on cruise missiles, stealth fighters, and other long-range stand-off weapons.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 26 Apr. 2026
Instead, a system known as PURL has been established, whereby NATO and Europe fund weapons purchases urgently needed by Ukraine, such as Patriot missiles (which can shoot down Russian ballistic or cruise missiles that target cities).
—Trudy Rubin, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2026
The systems are defined not just by their precision and range, but by their complexity, cost and scarcity, such as the Tomahawk cruise missile or Patriot missile system.
—James Laporta, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cruise missile
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Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2026
In fact, recent US operations in places like Iran have relied heavily on cruise missiles, stealth fighters, and other long-range stand-off weapons.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 26 Apr. 2026
Instead, a system known as PURL has been established, whereby NATO and Europe fund weapons purchases urgently needed by Ukraine, such as Patriot missiles (which can shoot down Russian ballistic or cruise missiles that target cities).
—Trudy Rubin, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2026
The systems are defined not just by their precision and range, but by their complexity, cost and scarcity, such as the Tomahawk cruise missile or Patriot missile system.
—James Laporta, CBS News, 24 Apr. 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 2 May. 2026.
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