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

The New York Times has previously reported that the school was hit by a US Tomahawk cruise missile, a weapon which Iran does not possess.

From Barron's ● May 19, 2026

"The munition depicted in the video appears to be twice as long, consistent with the dimensions and silhouette of an Iranian Hoveyzeh cruise missile," Capt Hawkins said.

From BBC ● Apr. 3, 2026

Tehran’s sneaking the occasional cruise missile or drone through air defenses in the Gulf also seems unavoidable.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 19, 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.