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• sonic boom
  sonic boom

  noun

  a loud noise caused by the shock wave generated by an aircraft moving at supersonic speed.
• boom, sonic
  boom, sonic

  The sharp, explosive sound generated by an airplane traveling at speeds greater than the speed of sound. The sonic boom follows the aircraft much like a wake follows a ship.

sonic boom

American  

noun

1. a loud noise caused by the shock wave generated by an aircraft moving at supersonic speed.

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sonic boom British  

noun

1. a loud explosive sound caused by the shock wave of an aircraft, etc, travelling at supersonic speed

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sonic boom Scientific  

1. A shock wave of compressed air caused by an aircraft traveling faster than the speed of sound. It is often audible as a loud, explosive sound, and it sometimes causes damage to structures on the ground.

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sonic boom ¹ Cultural  

1. See boom, sonic.

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boom, sonic ² Cultural  

1. The sharp, explosive sound generated by an airplane traveling at speeds greater than the speed of sound. The sonic boom follows the aircraft much like a wake follows a ship.

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Etymology

Origin of sonic boom

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sonic boom

"Our house shook, the doorbell went off. I thought it was a sonic boom because we've experienced that before," he said.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

A sonic boom occurs when an aircraft travels faster than the speed of sound, generating shockwaves that rapidly compress and decompress the air, producing an explosive noise.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2025

A sonic boom caused by a SpaceX cargo vessel rattled Los Angeles late Saturday evening.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 25, 2025

Santi, meanwhile, knows he’s good; when he pummels a ball, it sounds like a sonic boom.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2025

The horse’s sonic boom echoed across the bay.

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan

Related Words

• shock wave