nuclear

adjective

nu·cle·ar ˈnü-klē-ər

ˈnyü-

nonstandard -kyə-lər

Synonyms of nuclear next

: of, relating to, or constituting a nucleus

annexation of the suburban fringe by the nuclear metropolis—

W. H. Wickwar

: of or relating to the atomic nucleus

nuclear reaction

nuclear physics

: used in or produced by a nuclear reaction (such as fission)

nuclear fuel

nuclear waste

nuclear energy

c(1)

: being a weapon whose destructive power derives from an uncontrolled nuclear reaction

(2)

: of, produced by, or involving nuclear weapons

the nuclear age

nuclear war

(3)

: armed with nuclear weapons

nuclear powers

: of, relating to, or powered by nuclear energy

a nuclear submarine

the nuclear debate

a nuclear plant

How do you pronounce nuclear?: Usage Guide

Though disapproved of by many, pronunciations ending in \-kyə-lər\ have been found in widespread use among educated speakers including scientists, lawyers, professors, congressmen, U.S. cabinet members, and at least two U.S. presidents and one vice president. While most common in the U.S., these pronunciations have also been heard from British and Canadian speakers.

Phrases

go nuclear

informal

: to become wildly excited or upset : go berserk

To say the crowd went wild is an understatement. The crowd went nuclear. Outside the stadium, cars were overturned and fires were set. We sportswriters huddled inside, fearing for our lives.—

Tony Kornheiser

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Zatulin said that at the Council on Foreign and Security Policy meeting, one attendee suggested dropping a nuclear bomb on Rzeszow – the transport hub in southeastern Poland through which most of the West’s weapons flow into Ukraine. —

Peter Rutland, Fortune, 20 June 2023 The agreement is part of an 18-month-old nuclear partnership given the acronym AUKUS — for Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. —

Matthew Lee, Anchorage Daily News, 19 June 2023 The feature follows the Pentagon Papers leaker’s efforts to raise an alarm about the threat of a devastating nuclear war. —

Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 June 2023 The documents allegedly contained information on U.S. nuclear programs, potential vulnerabilities of the U.S. and its allies to a military attack and plans for potential retaliation in response to an attack. —

Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 18 June 2023 Netanyahu vehemently opposed the 2015 deal between Iran and world powers brokered by the Obama administration that sought to rein in Iran's nuclear program. —

Tia Goldenberg, ajc, 18 June 2023 According to Axios, Biden’s special envoy to the Middle East, Brett McGurk, secretly visited Oman in early May to carry out diplomatic outreach to Tehran regarding its nuclear program. —

Bernard Avishai, The New Yorker, 17 June 2023 Each move and countermove shaves away the time available for leaders to decide how to respond to a possible nuclear strike. —

IEEE Spectrum, 17 June 2023 The files included a classified 1966 study about the 1958 Taiwan Strait crisis, revealing that American military leaders had called for a first-use nuclear strike on China and drawn up plans for the attack. —

Patricia Sullivan, Washington Post, 16 June 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nuclear.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.