antiballistic missile

British  

noun

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

---

antiballistic missile Cultural  

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

---

Example Sentences

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

Russia began looking at ways to improve the capabilities of its strategic missile force after the United States withdrew from the antiballistic missile treaty in 2002 in order to expand its missile defenses.

From New York Times

The interceptors were on the same base where the United States keeps a part of its antiballistic missile fleet.

From New York Times

The Kremlin, for its part, has questioned Washington’s Mk-41 universal launch systems, which are used to fire antiballistic missile interceptors, in Eastern Europe.

From Los Angeles Times

China and the Trump administration also have clashed over the U.S. deployment in South Korea of a sophisticated antiballistic missile system known as the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD.

From Los Angeles Times