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.

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

Today, Bloom’s factory can produce one gigawatt of capacity a year, about as much as a nuclear reactor, but it expects to double capacity before the end of the year.

From Barron's • Feb. 6, 2026

Five large coal plants and one nuclear reactor in New Jersey have shut down since 2017.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 27, 2026

“Add a small scale nuclear reactor and the problem just got a little bit more complex.”

From MarketWatch • Jan. 17, 2026

The challenge of running a nuclear reactor lies in keeping the number of bouncing neutrons inside it steady.

From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland