1. explosions that occur in the air above the ground, typically from bombs or artillery shells detonated before impact
Usage: military; plural form

Examples

• The military strategists planned airbursts to maximize damage over a wide area.
• Airbursts are more effective than ground explosions for certain tactical objectives.
• The artillery shells were set to create airbursts above the target zone.
• Nuclear weapons can be detonated as airbursts or ground bursts depending on the intended effect.
• The training exercise simulated airbursts using controlled explosions.
• Airbursts produce different blast patterns compared to surface detonations.