thunderclap
Americannoun
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thunderclaps
plural
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a crash of thunder.
-
something resembling a thunderclap, as in loudness or unexpectedness.
noun
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a loud outburst of thunder
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something as violent or unexpected as a clap of thunder
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of thunderclap
First recorded in 1350–1400, thunderclap is from Middle English thonder clappe. See thunder, clap 1
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.
See Examples For:
Jack Dempsey was a human thunderclap, but hardly alone in that.
From BBC ● Mar. 7, 2026
"On paper, this was another thunderclap quarter. And yet the stock dipped. The market is no longer pricing growth. It is pricing perpetuity."
From Barron's ● Feb. 26, 2026
His chapters end with a wink as often as a thunderclap.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2025
He remains a thunderclap from the baseline, but has options other than ferocious groundstrokes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2025
Ivy’s heart exploded, a lightning bolt through her middle, a thunderclap in her chest.
From "Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World" by Ashley Herring Blake
His new setting is peaceful, aside from occasional thunderclaps rolling through the valley during the rainy season, and the wildlife.
From Slate ● Mar. 30, 2026
Guest soloist Alexander Wasserman practiced the Grieg concerto, chords like thunderclaps resonating from the grand piano, a gorgeous black-lacquer Shigeru Kawai donated for this performance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 22, 2025
When it's all over but the crying there's no doubt we'll wish for more time with the Roys while appreciating that Armstrong and the cast are ending the show while its thunderclaps still shake us.
From Salon ● Mar. 26, 2023
Cities are nearly impossible; sound waves bounce off buildings in erratic ways, and thunderclaps can set off car alarms.
From New York Times ● Apr. 5, 2022
I tested every handhold for loose rocks and moved only in the thunderclaps of cannon fire as they echoed in the gorge.
From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri
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