Definitions

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.

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

From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026

NextEra and Google in October announced a deal to restart a NextEra nuclear reactor in Iowa.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 16, 2026

It also has a stake in Westinghouse, which designed the most prominent large next-gen American nuclear reactor.

From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026

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

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 27, 2026

The unthinkable had already happened—a nuclear reactor had melted down.

From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland