mushroom cloud

noun

: a mushroom-shaped cloud
specifically : one caused by the explosion of a nuclear weapon

Examples of mushroom cloud 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.
But there’s something to be said for dropping your adversary off in a Chicago beset by a mushroom cloud. — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026 Fear cues – like a nuclear mushroom cloud – can push viewers to weigh fresh information and reconsider their choice. — Monique Mitchell Turner, The Conversation, 23 Oct. 2026 Blue Origin is a central player in NASA’s moon project, but those plans took a big hit Thursday night when one of Jeff Bezos’ rockets catastrophically exploded into a giant mushroom cloud on its Cape Canaveral launch pad. — Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 May 2026 The blast, captured with an assortment of high-speed and motion-picture cameras, shows the fireball expanding between 25 milliseconds and 60 seconds, by which time the mushroom cloud is over 3 kilometers high. — IEEE Spectrum, 15 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for mushroom cloud

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1909, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mushroom cloud was circa 1909

Rhymes for mushroom cloud

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Browse Nearby Words

mushroom chair
mushroom cloud
mushroom coral
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mushroom cloud.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mushroom%20cloud. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on mushroom cloud

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about mushroom cloud

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