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.

She sat alongside a nuclear reactor during a flight with Energy Secretary Chris Wright; she still isn’t quite sure she understands what a nuclear reactor is.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

Reporter Martin Fackler, who said that entering post-storm Fukushima was “like entering hell,” breaks down, step by step, what occurs inside a nuclear reactor when power is lost and the fissionable material can’t be cooled.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

Holtec also has a design for its own small nuclear reactor, and is attempting to get approval to place two of the small reactors at the Palisades site.

From Barron's • Feb. 9, 2026

GE Vernova is building its first small modular nuclear reactor in Ontario.

From Barron's • Feb. 8, 2026

This involved bombarding samples with neutrons in a small nuclear reactor and carefully counting the gamma rays that were emitted; it was extremely finicky work.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson