bombshell
Americannoun
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a bomb.
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something or someone having a sudden and sensational effect.
The news of his resignation was a bombshell.
noun
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(esp formerly) a bomb or artillery shell
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a shocking or unwelcome surprise
the news of his death was a bombshell
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informal an attractive girl or woman (esp in the phrase blonde bombshell )
Etymology
Origin of bombshell
1700–10; 1925–30 bombshell for def. 2; bomb + shell
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.
During questioning by a Senate committee in 1973, Butterfield made the bombshell disclosure that then-President Richard Nixon had a recording system in the Oval Office.
From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026
Three days after landing in Tucson, on Friday morning, I drove to the airport as another pop-culture bombshell finally threatened to knock Nancy Guthrie off the front page.
From Slate • Feb. 23, 2026
At City Hall, Raman’s entrance into the mayor’s race is a bombshell, particularly given her relationship with Bass.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 7, 2026
Alphabet earnings are the headliner for later, but for now, investors continue to weigh the fallout from embattled software stocks after Anthropic’s “Cowork” bombshell.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 4, 2026
As soon as he had finished his unassuming report, however, everyone in the audience knew that a bombshell had exploded in the world of Joshua Lederberg.
From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
