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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Discover More

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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cruise missile

"The more you add capability to a drone, the less meaningful the distinction between the drone and a lower-end cruise missile."

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026

In terms of air defence, analysts say the new drones more closely resemble a cruise missile than a conventional drone.

From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026

The government has agreed to hand over blueprints for British-made components for the Scalp missile, a French version of the UK's Storm Shadow cruise missile - allowing Ukraine to produce the weapon domestically.

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

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 James P. Wade

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