flash-bang
Americannoun
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Also called flash-bang grenade, flash grenade. a type of grenade that explodes with a loud noise and a dazzling flash of light, used to distract or momentarily disorient people without injuring them.
He used a flash-bang from his own utility belt to temporarily blind his pursuers.
The group is concerned that gear like flash-bang grenades and shock cuffs are leading to more aggressive policing.
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a dazzling flash of light accompanied by a loud noise.
The thick smoke mingled with the occasional flash-bang of a surplus grenade.
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attention-grabbing, thrilling, or impressive character; glitz; showiness.
Grounded in real-world issues, the stories examined the seamier side of life often ignored in the flash-bang of other superhero comics.
adjective
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relating to or characterized by a combination of bright light and loud noise.
An intense hail started, followed by extremely close, flash-bang lightning.
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catching the attention in an impressive or thrilling way; showy.
The flash-bang, hair-trigger excitement of the movie’s early scenes progressively loses impact as the stumbling saga unfolds.
Not all sports injuries are of a flash-bang type—some are cumulative, built up over months or even years.
Etymology
Origin of flash-bang
First recorded in 1840–45
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.
Their tactics — which included secret detentions of activists and the wholesale use of tear gas and flash-bang grenades against growing crowds — were widely seen as excessive and drew more protesters into the streets.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 16, 2020
Protesters in Louisville faced off with the police again on Friday evening, with the police firing flash-bang grenades and arresting 22 people; a few hundred people marched through the city on Saturday evening.
From New York Times ● Sep. 26, 2020
Meanwhile, a U.S. judge on Friday ordered Seattle police to temporarily stop using tear gas, pepper spray and flash-bang devices to break up largely peaceful protests.
From Washington Times ● Jun. 13, 2020
The powder may have blown into the air as the tactical team tossed a flash-bang grenade, or the suspects may have swept it from the table in a panic, Foley said.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 14, 2016
Frank was better known for the Giant Goldfish Fiasco in Atlanta, and, just yesterday, for turning into a two-hundred-kilo gorilla only to get knocked senseless by a flash-bang grenade.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
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