bombshell

noun

ˈbäm-ˌshel How to pronounce bombshell (audio)
Definition of bombshellnext
as in surprise
something that makes a strong impression because it is so unexpected discovering that I had a long-lost sister was an absolute bombshell

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bombshell Mazariegos attended the first City Council meeting after The Times dropped the audio leak bombshell in October 2022. — Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026 Another, curated by photographer Peter Knapp, centered Knapp’s 1965 Elle editorial on the Courrèges bombshell. — Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2026 The discovery comes after years of comparisons between Sweeney and Monroe, from their blonde bombshell images and Old Hollywood glamour to the intense public attention surrounding their careers and personal lives. — Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026 Just two months after Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady began dating, the new couple was hit with a major bombshell. — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 29 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bombshell
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bombshell
  1. surprise
  2. shock
  3. jolt
  4. revelation
Noun
  • His victory was seen as a bit of a surprise, as forecasters like the Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball placed the race in their Lean Republican categories.
    — Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2026
  • Then again, the trade deadline usually has one or two big surprises.
    — Sean Hammond, Chicago Tribune, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of surprise
Noun
  • Authorities said the driver was able to talk but appeared to be in shock after Tuesday’s crash, which hit pedestrians and food vendors at a busy intersection in the North Hollywood neighborhood during the height of the evening commute.
    — David Swanson, Chicago Tribune, 11 Nov. 2026
  • In the 2026 midterm elections, the GOP faced crushing losses as Democrats took control of the House and the Senate, following shock victories in Republican strongholds like Texas, South Carolina and Kansas.
    — Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of shock
Noun
  • But there’s something bracingly logical about injecting the synthetic jolt of electronic dance music into a hospital environment, where vulnerable bodies are sustained by machines.
    — Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Still, not a bad move for the home of Hollywood, that needs a jolt to get back in the ring.
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of jolt
Noun
  • But the revelation of Huang’s relationship with a woman who US officials have said is a Chinese asset has cast a dark cloud over Huang and the company.
    — Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2026
  • At the servant’s execution, Belzagar tells Eärien that there’s soon to be some kind of action against the Faithful in the West, a revelation that Eärien can’t know will soon seal her fate.
    — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of revelation

Browse Nearby Words

bombs
bombshell
bombshells
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Cite this Entry

“Bombshell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bombshell. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

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