upper atmosphere
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of upper atmosphere
First recorded in 1890–95
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.
This saw the capsule dip into the upper atmosphere, briefly climb again, then plunge back in so as to best cope with the heat, G-forces and splashdown accuracy needed.
From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026
As climate change shifts atmospheric conditions, experts warn that air travel could become bumpier: temperature changes and shifting wind patterns in the upper atmosphere are expected to increase the frequency and intensity of severe turbulence.
From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026
The new measurements confirm that Uranus's upper atmosphere continues to cool, a pattern first identified in the early 1990s.
From Science Daily • Feb. 21, 2026
The German team managed to measure the pollution the rocket's upper stage emitted in our planet's difficult-to-study upper atmosphere -- the first time this has been achieved, according to a study published on Thursday.
From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026
We'd be skimming the upper atmosphere, so our orbit would rapidly decay.
From "The Martian" by Andy Weir
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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.