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nuclear option

British

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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 could even reach for a nuclear option: abolishing the draft altogether, and making incoming rookies free agents.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026

In theory, other EU countries could override Belgium and ram the initiative through with a weighted majority but that would be a nuclear option that few see as likely for now.

From Barron's • Dec. 18, 2025

There’s the nuclear option: the singles table in the restaurant.

From Salon • Jul. 4, 2025

The nuclear option would be to leave him out, possibly sending a clear message to the dressing room that no-one is safe.

From BBC • Nov. 10, 2024

Asked in a radio interview about a hypothetical nuclear option, Eliyahu had replied: "That's one way."

From Reuters • Nov. 7, 2023

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023