Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

sonic boom

American  

noun

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

sonic boom British  

noun

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

"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
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.

sonic boom 1 Cultural  

  1. See boom, sonic.

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.

Etymology

Origin of sonic boom

First recorded in 1950–55

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.

“Dragon will also announce its arrival with a brief sonic boom prior to splashing down in the Pacific Ocean,” SpaceX posted about an hour before the boom was reported.

From Los Angeles Times • May 25, 2025

A sonic boom was heard across Los Angeles as SpaceX Dragon cargo vessel lit up the night sky.

From Los Angeles Times • May 25, 2025

It sparked an immensely powerful shock akin to a "sonic boom from a jet fighter" -- the likes of which are among the most striking phenomena in the Universe.

From Science Daily • Nov. 21, 2024

A loud sonic boom was reported across Norfolk as the fighter jets raced to intercept the airliner.

From BBC • Oct. 17, 2024

The deck cracked like thin ice under Jason’s legs and, with a sonic boom, the Argo II hurtled out of the clouds.

From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan

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.