: an intercontinental ballistic missile

Examples of ICBM in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The pads could be used to deploy mobile air-defense missiles, electronic warfare nodes or, from some of the larger ones, road-mobile ICBM launchers, three security scholars said. Reuters, NBC news, 29 May 2026 But soon, their typical routine is abruptly interrupted when an unidentified intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is detected. Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Oct. 2025 While the Ministry of Defense said the system can engage threats up to the ICBM class, the latest demonstrations reportedly involved targets in the 2,000 to 5,000-kilometer range. Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 16 June 2026 By comparison, the United States’ LGM-30 Minuteman ICBM has a range of about 11,000 kilometers (6,835 miles) and is deployed with only one warhead, though it was designed to carry three. Zahra Ullah, CNN Money, 13 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for ICBM

Word History

First Known Use

1955, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ICBM was in 1955

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“ICBM.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ICBM. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

: an intercontinental ballistic missile
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!