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 )
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
See Examples For:
It wasn’t a surprise, but it was a bombshell.
From Salon ● Jul. 10, 2026
Stokes' return hinted normality may resume until his bombshell announcement on Sunday, one of the most extraordinary days in English cricket history.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
“I realized that we had something that was hugely significant, but I didn’t realize the extent of the bombshell until the broadcast,” Bashir recalled in “The Verdict.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2026
They will have to wait longer after Amazon.com dropped a bombshell on the industry.
From Barron's ● May 7, 2026
If this was DNA, I should create a bombshell by announcing its discovery.
From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson
Peacock announced last week that Montgomery was among the bombshells entering the villa in Fiji for the latest season.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026
Two aspects of the 28-point peace plan, in particular, landed like bombshells in Europe’s defense and foreign-policy establishment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 2, 2025
When the news broke and Agar was presented with his baggy green cap by Glenn McGrath, Cricket Australia's own website called it "one of the biggest Ashes bombshells in history".
From BBC ● Nov. 18, 2025
New bombshells continue revealing themselves in Cher's new book, "Cher The Memoir: Part One."
From Salon ● Nov. 25, 2024
But the paper presented these allegations as scandalous bombshells, call-ing them “startling disclosures.”
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
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.
