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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

A meteor streaked across the New York City area in broad daylight on July 16, 2024, producing a sonic boom as it passed just south of the Statue of Liberty.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 8, 2026

"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

Although the X-59 was designed to minimize the disruptive sonic boom typically associated with supersonic aircraft, these initial supersonic flights are not intended to demonstrate that capability.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 1, 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

She heard a roar that she later realized was a sonic boom, and Arion tore over Puget Sound, seawater turning to steam in his wake as the skyline of Seattle receded behind them.

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan

Related Words

• shock wave