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 Storm Shadow missile programme is to be discontinued but will eventually be replaced by a new missile called Stratus, a low-cost cruise missile.

From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026

North Korea has recently staged strategic cruise missile launches from the Choe Hyon, which analysts believe could be equipped to carry nuclear warheads.

From Barron's ● May 8, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 14, 2026

The British company is developing a missile called Starhammer built for high-speed targets like ballistic missiles, alongside an antidrone and cruise missile interceptor called Skyhammer.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 30, 2026

The cruise missile production which will begin next year will modernize our strategic air deterrent.

From State of the Union Address by Carter, Jimmy