Definitions

mushroom cloud

NOUN

large ominous cloud

Synonyms

WEAK

fallout nuclear fallout radioactive cloud

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Footage shows the towering rocket erupt in an inferno, followed by a mushroom cloud of smoke as bystanders gathered to watch the launch gasp "Oh no!" and "Oh my God!"

From Barron's • May 29, 2026

Harry Truman’s legacy froze the moment the mushroom cloud rose over Hiroshima.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026

But Wright, whose agency oversees testing, said people living in the Nevada desert should have "no worries" about seeing a mushroom cloud.

From BBC • Nov. 3, 2025

Federal investigators later concluded that the open burn and the black mushroom cloud it produced were unnecessary, but it was too late.

From Salon • Oct. 5, 2024

The cometary impact and fireball would simulate all effects of a one- megaton nuclear burst, including the mushroom cloud, with two exceptions: there would be no gamma radiation or radioactive fallout.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan