nuclear option
Britishnoun
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the use of or power to use nuclear weapons
-
the use of or power to use a measure considered to be particularly drastic
the nuclear option of a confidence vote
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It’s a nuclear option, and the stakes are enormous, reports Stephen Wilmot.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
Simply halting Stretch’s dividend is legal, but a nuclear option.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
Compared with it being described as a "nuclear option" last month.
From BBC ● Feb. 26, 2026
Referred to as a "bazooka" or "nuclear" option, the instrument is intended to deter economic coercion against any of the EU's 27 member states.
From Barron's ● Jan. 19, 2026
There’s the nuclear option: the singles table in the restaurant.
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2025
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
