proximity fuse
noun
: a fuse for a projectile that uses the principle of radar to detect the presence of a target within the projectile's effective range
Examples of proximity fuse in a Sentence
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In 1942, Johns Hopkins launched its Applied Physics Laboratory, which developed the proximity fuse—another crucial technological innovation for the Allied victory—and which later, during the Sputnik era, developed the concept for GPS.
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L. Rafael Reif, Foreign Affairs, 6 May 2025
The missile’s 22-pound warhead is triggered using a laser proximity fuse immune to radar jamming.
—Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 3 Sep. 2023
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L. Rafael Reif, Foreign Affairs, 6 May 2025
The missile’s 22-pound warhead is triggered using a laser proximity fuse immune to radar jamming.
—Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 3 Sep. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Proximity fuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proximity%20fuse. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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