Molotov cocktail

noun

Mo·​lo·​tov cocktail ˈmä-lə-ˌtȯf- How to pronounce Molotov cocktail (audio)
ˈmȯ-,
ˈmō-,
-ˌtȯv-
: a crude bomb made of a bottle filled with a flammable liquid (such as gasoline) and usually fitted with a wick (such as a saturated rag) that is ignited just before the bottle is hurled

Examples of Molotov cocktail in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Many of the prisoners to be released have been detained for infractions such as throwing stones or Molotov cocktails, while others are convicted of killing Israelis. Sam Mednick, Chicago Tribune, 24 Jan. 2025 Another California man pleaded guilty to firebombing a Planned Parenthood building with a Molotov cocktail in 2022. Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 24 Jan. 2025 Federal prosecutors accuse a woman of throwing a Molotov cocktail onto the back porch of her Venezuelan neighbors’ home on the city’s Northwest Side in March 2024, according to court records. Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2025 The trio is so utterly hilarious and plays brilliantly off one another, with jokes, reactions, and physical humor zipping between them faster than Ruth turns around those syrup-bottle Molotov cocktails in a pinch. Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 7 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for Molotov cocktail 

Word History

Etymology

Vyacheslav M. Molotov

First Known Use

1940, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Molotov cocktail was in 1940

Dictionary Entries Near Molotov cocktail

Cite this Entry

“Molotov cocktail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Molotov%20cocktail. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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