nuclear reactor

[noo-klee-er ree-ak-ter, nyoo-] / ˈnu kli ər riˈæk tər, ˈnyu- /

NOUN

atomic reactor

Synonyms

STRONGEST

reactor

WEAK

atomic furnace atomic pile atomic power plant atomic reactor breeder reactor chain reactor core reactor fast breeder reactor neutron factory nuclear furnace nuclear power plant pile plutonium reactor reactor pile thermonuclear reactor uranium reactor

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.

In October, the companies announced a deal to restart a NextEra nuclear reactor in Iowa that closed in 2020 following wind damage to a cooling tower.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026

The strikes included attacks very close to Iran’s Bushehr nuclear reactor.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026

The winners of the new grants include Constellation Energy, the country’s largest nuclear reactor owner.

From Barron's • May 14, 2026

A gigawatt is roughly equivalent to the power generated by a nuclear reactor.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 27, 2026

It can take up to twenty-four hours for a properly functioning nuclear reactor to reach cold shutdown—the point at which the temperature of the core dips below boiling.

From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland