photobomb

American  

[foh-toh-bom] / ˈfoʊ toʊˌbɒm /

verb (used with object)

1. to ruin (a photograph) by appearing in the image without the photographer’s knowledge, often in some dramatic or comical way.

   My brother photobombed what would have been a nice photo of my grandma and me.

2. to do this to (the subject of a photograph or the photographer).

   I thought I had a great picture, but I got photobombed by a pigeon flying by.

---

noun

1. a photograph that is ruined in this way.

Other Word Forms

• photobomber noun
• photobombing noun

Etymology

Origin of photobomb

First recorded in 2005–10; photo + bomb ( def. )

Example Sentences

Crowned the hottest planet in our Solar System, Venus has been secretly photobombing the satellite images of the Earth for almost 10 years.

From Space Scoop

While Luca Lorenz was photographing mute swans on an urban lake, a coypu photobombed his frame.

From BBC

The Arizona farmer photobombed a photograph the Cop, Convict, Comedian and Rabbi took together to celebrate their night out with the faithful.

From Salon

They encountered an immense flurry of different salps that were doing their nightly migration to the surface -- and many photobombing sharks, squids and crustaceans, Sutherland noted.

From Science Daily

Two of our galaxy’s most famous stars were recently photobombed by what appears to be a celestial question mark.

From National Geographic