stink bomb

American

noun

a small bomb made to emit a foul smell on exploding.

stink bomb British

noun

a small glass globe, used by practical jokers: it releases a liquid with an offensive smell when broken

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of stink bomb

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

If throwing a stink bomb into Maine wasn’t the “intent,” what was?

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 7, 2025

At the defence’s request, the judge granted permission for a video clip to be played, which appeared to show a zodiac-type speedboat sailing alongside a Japanese ship and firing a stink bomb.

From BBC • Sep. 4, 2024

An early example is a stink bomb that clears a sold-out showing of “Jaws” and allows our heroes to watch it, with gas masks in place.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 29, 2022

Do not blame me for dropping this stink bomb of an anecdote on you.

From New York Times • Apr. 5, 2022

And it is rolling through this school like a stink bomb.

From "The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle" by Leslie Connor

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023