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.
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners, the organization for regulators from every U.S. state, in 2024 published a bombshell study revealing that the ratings on insurers’ private-credit investments were routinely inflated.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026
The prosecution dropped the potential bombshell: that Hipolito signed a stipulation saying he knew Crook was a federal officer or employee.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
And when the next bombshell research report drops, ask yourself: Do I own the companies in the obituary section or the companies writing the eulogy?
From MarketWatch • Mar. 19, 2026
The news also dropped like a bombshell in the Senegalese capital, Dakar - but for the opposite reason.
From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026
A few days later, I received a different kind of bombshell, this time a call from the clerk's office in Baldwin County.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
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.
