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 UK has also agreed to hand over blueprints for British-made components for the Scalp missile, a French version of the UK's Storm Shadow cruise missile.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

The UK hopes to have a new cruise missile ready by the end of the year.

From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026

In 2024, the company tested a cruise missile that packs a far bigger punch.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

Japan recently tested a U.S.-made Tomahawk cruise missile, and it participated in U.S.-led military exercises earlier this year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

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

From State of the Union Address by Jimmy Carter