thermonuclear
adjective
ther·mo·nu·cle·ar
ˌthər-mō-ˈnü-klē-ər 
-ˈnyü-,
nonstandard
-ˈn(y)ü-kyə-lər
1
: of, relating to, or employing transformations in the nuclei of atoms of low atomic weight (such as hydrogen) that require a very high temperature for their inception (as in the hydrogen bomb or in the sun)
thermonuclear reaction
thermonuclear weapon
2
: of, utilizing, or relating to a thermonuclear bomb
thermonuclear war
a thermonuclear attack
Examples of thermonuclear in a Sentence
Hydrogen bombs are thermonuclear weapons.
Recent Examples on the Web
Khan led secret production efforts (in parallel to another Pakistani weapons program) that successfully yielded nuclear warheads in 1986, though they were not tested until 1998 − mere weeks after India tested its new thermonuclear weapons.
—
Davis Winkie, USA Today, 8 May 2025
At the time, Ukraine seemed to have no enemies, and no need for city-destroying thermonuclear bombs.
—Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes.com, 5 May 2025
When this gas goes through the thermonuclear runaway process (the explosion in the nova), the lack of these elements is amplified, leading to a lower abundance in the explosion's remnants.
—Victoria Corless, Space.com, 20 Mar. 2025
During the final stages in the life of a gargantuan star, its death throes culminate in a powerful thermonuclear blast — a supernova — that typically destroys the celestial object, unleashing material and radiation.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for thermonuclear
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Davis Winkie, USA Today, 8 May 2025
At the time, Ukraine seemed to have no enemies, and no need for city-destroying thermonuclear bombs.
—Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes.com, 5 May 2025
When this gas goes through the thermonuclear runaway process (the explosion in the nova), the lack of these elements is amplified, leading to a lower abundance in the explosion's remnants.
—Victoria Corless, Space.com, 20 Mar. 2025
During the final stages in the life of a gargantuan star, its death throes culminate in a powerful thermonuclear blast — a supernova — that typically destroys the celestial object, unleashing material and radiation.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for thermonuclear
Cite this Entry
“Thermonuclear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thermonuclear. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
thermonuclear
adjective
ther·mo·nu·cle·ar
ˌthər-mō-ˈn(y)ü-klē-ər
: of or relating to the transformations in the nucleus of atoms of low atomic weight (as hydrogen) that require a very high temperature (as in the hydrogen bomb or in the sun)
a thermonuclear reaction
a thermonuclear weapon
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