photobomb

[foh-toh-bom]

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

• photobombing noun
• photobomber noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of photobomb¹

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.

Read more on Space Scoop

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

Read more on BBC

The speaker of the House, the man second in line to the presidency — Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana — had to photobomb the much-shared shot taken aboard the so-called Trump Force One airplane last weekend.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

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

Read more on 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.

Read more on Science Daily