unidentified flying object

noun

plural unidentified flying objects
: a mysterious flying object in the sky that is sometimes assumed to be a spaceship from another planet : UFO
Three unidentified flying objects shot down from North American airspace could turn out to be balloons used for research or commercial purposes that posed no direct threat to the U.S., a White House spokesman said Tuesday.Candy Woodall et al.

called also UAP, unidentified aerial phenomenon, unidentified anomalous phenomenon

Examples of unidentified flying object in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The unidentified flying objects, according to the federal government, do not appear to be operating nefariously. Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 16 Dec. 2024 The deployment of Robin technology could come as a relief to residents in the New York and New Jersey areas who have been rattled by the bright, unidentified flying objects hovering above their homes almost every night for weeks. Daniel Arkin, NBC News, 16 Dec. 2024 Federal agencies, including the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security, have yet to corroborate or provide any clear answers about the unidentified flying objects spotted across the skies of Maryland, New York and New Jersey. Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 16 Dec. 2024 The system’s radar and infrared cameras capture information about each unidentified flying object’s velocity, size, altitude, and so forth. IEEE Spectrum, 28 June 2017 In 1976: Two F-4 Phantom II jets of the Imperial Iranian Air Force encountered an unidentified flying object over Tehran. Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 20 Sep. 2024 Their findings lead them to uncover a conspiracy, and, most intriguingly, reports of an unidentified flying object. Kevin Jacobsen, EW.com, 22 June 2024 No credible evidence exists that U.S. authorities covered up extraterrestrial life, in the form of unidentified flying objects, even if some Americans firmly believe in UFOs, a Pentagon report said Friday. David K. Li, NBC News, 8 Mar. 2024 But over the last few decades, as science and mass media have expanded, the obsession with unidentified flying objects and possible extraterrestrial life has exploded. Kelsey Klimara, ABC News, 19 Jan. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unidentified flying object was in 1947

Dictionary Entries Near unidentified flying object

Cite this Entry

“Unidentified flying object.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unidentified%20flying%20object. Accessed 19 Jan. 2025.

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