1. Plural of groundburst; explosions that occur at or near ground level, typically referring to nuclear detonations or artillery impacts that detonate upon contact with the earth.
Usage: military/technical term; often used in nuclear weapons or ordnance contexts

Examples

• Groundbursts create massive craters and produce intense radioactive fallout.
• Military strategists distinguish between airbursts and groundbursts based on target type.
• The test site showed evidence of multiple groundbursts from the weapons trials.
• Groundbursts are more effective against hardened underground structures than airbursts.
• Historical analysis of the bombing campaign documented numerous groundbursts in urban areas.