cruise missile

noun

: a guided missile that has a terrain-following radar system and that flies at moderate speed and low altitude

Examples of cruise missile in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

One of the most powerful aircraft carrier strike group of the United States launched more than 450 Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles during operations against Iran. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 8 Oct. 2026

The Houthis’ military spokesman later said the group had fired additional ballistic and cruise missiles at airports in Riyadh and the southwestern city of Najran, claiming the attacks disrupted flights. — ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026

In late July, a Russian cruise missile crashed into Polish territory. — Julianne Smith, Foreign Affairs, 7 Oct. 2026

By 2024, Mach landed a deal with the Army Applications Laboratory to develop a vertical-takeoff precision cruise missile—and the company’s momentum has only accelerated since. — Preston Fore, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1959, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cruise missile

• abyssal
• dismissal
• epistle
• bristle
• fissile
• gristle
• missal
• nissl
• thistle
• whistle