hand grenade
Americannoun
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a grenade or explosive shell that is thrown by hand and exploded either by impact or by means of a fuze.
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a grenade or glass missile containing a chemical, for extinguishing fire.
noun
Etymology
Origin of hand grenade
First recorded in 1655–65
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.
Nothing was more intriguing than Dahlem showing there used to be a hand grenade competition, with a student from Huntington Park winning the first competition.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 9, 2025
Card had been an instructor at an Army hand grenade training range, where it is believed he was exposed to thousands of low-level blasts.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 6, 2024
“The way he comes back at people is truly amazing. He’s out there juggling a razor, a hand grenade and a cobra — and being funny at the same time.”
From Washington Post ● Feb. 19, 2023
"So here's Charles trying to establish himself as the new king and now Harry's thrown this hand grenade and it's all coming kind of crashing around him," royal biographer Tina Brown said.
From Reuters ● Jan. 8, 2023
Or, more precisely, he’d keep asking questions, keep sighing and staring at the car like it was a hand grenade, until Toby finally told him the truth.
From "We'll Fly Away" by Bryan Bliss
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.
