Cuba
Americannoun
noun
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The sinking of the United States battleship Maine in Havana harbor led to the Spanish-American War in 1898.
In 1961, under the administration of John F. Kennedy, American-trained Cuban exiles attempted to invade Cuba, landing at the Bay of Pigs, only to be easily defeated by Castro's forces. The Kennedy administration was sharply criticized for the Bay of Pigs fiasco.
In 1980, Cuban refugees began pouring into the United States when Castro allowed free emigration.
Fidel Castro took control of the Cuban government in 1959. The United States broke off relations with Cuba in 1961, after Castro exhibited strong left-wing leanings, established a system of military justice, and confiscated American investments in banks, industries, and land. Cuba then formed a close attachment to the Soviet Union.
The collapse of communism in eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union has left Cuba as one of the last communist states.
The Cuban missile crisis of 1962 occurred as a result of a Soviet buildup of medium-range missiles (capable of striking targets in the United States) in Cuba.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It isn’t surprising that the first notable leader to make the leap in modern memory came from Cuba, an island you can reach from Florida with a suitably kitted-out lawn chair.
From Salon ● Nov. 1, 2026
"We have relatives living in fear right now, we've had relatives who have been deported back to Cuba, unfortunately," he explains.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
A State Department spokesman said Wednesday, “We have made clear to the Cuba Mission that this individual is not welcome in the United States, and as a result this individual has left.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
For “Libertad,” the band looked toward Cuba, including a bevy of folk rhythms from the island such as reparto, punto, pilón, abakuá, timba, guaguancó and more.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2026
Kennedy explained that Soviet missiles had been discovered in Cuba.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
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