antiballistic missile

British  

noun

1.  ABM.  a missile designed to destroy an incoming ballistic missile before it reaches its target

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antiballistic missile Cultural  

1. A defensive missile, designed to destroy a ballistic missile in flight.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

antiballistic missile

Up until the U.S. withdrew following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, a Cold War-era treaty strictly limited antiballistic missile defense capabilities to maintain the equilibrium between the two superpowers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

The center does real-time operational forecasting for the military, for example, at the antiballistic missile systems site at Fort Greely, Alaska, and has done the computer modeling that has helped improve forecasting of wildfire behavior.

From Slate ● Dec. 18, 2025

The Patriot is a mobile surface-to-air missile and antiballistic missile system that can shoot down incoming missiles before they hit their intended targets.

From New York Times ● Dec. 21, 2022

President Richard Nixon disbanded his council of scientific advisers in 1973 after its views clashed with his plans for an antiballistic missile system and supersonic airliners.

From Science Magazine ● Oct. 20, 2016

In 1974, a protocol was signed that reduced antiballistic missile sites to one per country, since neither country had yet begun to build its second system.

From Textbooks ● Dec. 30, 2014