cruise missile

American  

noun

1. a winged guided missile designed to deliver a conventional or nuclear warhead by flying at low altitudes to avoid detection by radar.

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cruise missile British  

noun

1. an air-breathing low-flying subsonic missile that is continuously powered and guided throughout its flight and carries a warhead

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cruise missile Cultural  

1. A military missile equipped with an onboard computer that allows it to guide itself on a preprogrammed course over long distances by sensing the terrain and comparing it to maps stored in its memory. (See smart weapons (see also smart weapons).)

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Cruise missiles first came into public awareness during the Persian Gulf War.

Compare meaning

How does cruise-missile compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• cruise missile vs. ballistic missile

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cruise missile

Kyiv has also added a new cruise missile, the Flamingo, to its arsenal.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026

North Korea previously said the Choe Hyon is equipped with the "most powerful weapons", and Kim oversaw a cruise missile test from the vessel in April.

From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026

On Sept. 14, 2019, a coordinated drone and cruise missile attack—which the U.S.,

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 14, 2026

Video footage clearly shows the damage was done by a Tomahawk cruise missile.

From Slate ● Mar. 10, 2026

A stealthy aircraft bombing unimpededly is not distinct from a cruise missile fired at 1,000 miles regarding the effect of ordnance on target.

From Shock and Awe — Achieving Rapid Dominance by Wade, James P.