Illustration of bolt
- bolt 3
1
a
: a lightning stroke
also
: thunderbolt
b
: a shaft or missile designed to be shot from a crossbow or catapult
especially
: a short stout usually blunt-headed arrow
2
a
: a wood or metal bar or rod used to fasten a door
b
: the part of a lock that is shot or withdrawn by the key
3
: a metal rod or pin for fastening objects together that usually has a head at one end and a screw thread at the other and is secured by a nut
4
: a roll of cloth or wallpaper of specified length
5
: a metal cylinder that drives the cartridge into the chamber of a firearm, locks the breech, and usually contains the firing pin and extractor
6
a
: a block of timber to be sawed or cut
b
: a short round section of a log
bolted; bolting; bolts
1
: to move suddenly or nervously : start
2
: to move or proceed rapidly : dash
3
a
: to break away from control or a set course
b
: to dart off or away : flee
4
: to break away from or oppose one's previous affiliation (as with a political party or sports team)
5
: to produce seed prematurely
bolted; bolting; bolts
Synonyms
Examples of bolt in a Sentence
Adverb
She sat bolt upright, staring straight ahead.
Recent Examples on the Web
David Koenig, Fortune, 25 Apr. 2024
Michael Hiltzik: The UAW sends a lightning bolt into anti-union states with a huge victory at a VW plant.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2024
The wildfire started when a bolt of lightning struck a dead cottonwood, sparking a blaze near a bald eagle nest that was home to a male and female pair, and their eaglet, according to the DeSoto and Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuges.
—Mitchell Willetts, Kansas City Star, 23 Apr. 2024
Most of the bags feature patches of a heart, a smiley face, and a lightning bolt, though one color has a rainbow instead of a heart.
—Phoebe Sklansky, Parents, 19 Apr. 2024
The Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation of the Alaska Airlines incident after a preliminary investigation found that four key bolts were not installed when the 737 Max 9 left Boeing's factory last year.
—Joel Rose, NPR, 25 Mar. 2024
Investigators say four bolts used to help secure the panel appeared to be missing after the plane was worked on at a Boeing factory in Renton, Washington.
—Julia Gomez, USA TODAY, 23 Mar. 2024
Even Lady Liberty was hit by rumbling thunderstorms, struck by a bolt of lightning Wednesday evening around 6 p.m. in a stunning moment captured by a photographer from Liberty State Park in New Jersey.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 4 Apr. 2024
Indeed, the bolt of energy was extinguished quickly.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 28 Mar. 2024
Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 12 Apr. 2024
The children bolted across the hallway to another classroom, where a student who had reported the boy was waiting.
—Justin Jouvenal, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
The book is probably best known for a dismal 1970 adaptation starring Raquel Welch and John Huston that remains bolted to lists of the worst-ever movies.
—Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024
The man fired two more shots as Kinnan bolted across the street and jumped a fence.
—Rozina Ali, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2024
But party leaders were anxious to keep him from bolting to the Republicans.
—Michael H. Brown, Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2024
Many then well-remembered how the Kansas City Athletics bolted for Oakland in 1968.
—Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 25 Mar. 2024
Their posts must be installed into the ground or bolted into a cement base.
—Samantha S. Thorpe, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Mar. 2024
The Russian air force began bolting satellite-guidance kits and pop-out wings onto 1,100-pound and 3,300-pound KAB bombs in order to produce crude, but effective, precision glide-bombs.
—David Axe, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
Noun
Investigators looking into the Alaska flight say bolts that help keep the door plug in place were missing after repair work at a Boeing factory.
—David Koenig, Fortune, 25 Apr. 2024
Michael Hiltzik: The UAW sends a lightning bolt into anti-union states with a huge victory at a VW plant.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2024
The wildfire started when a bolt of lightning struck a dead cottonwood, sparking a blaze near a bald eagle nest that was home to a male and female pair, and their eaglet, according to the DeSoto and Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuges.
—Mitchell Willetts, Kansas City Star, 23 Apr. 2024
Most of the bags feature patches of a heart, a smiley face, and a lightning bolt, though one color has a rainbow instead of a heart.
—Phoebe Sklansky, Parents, 19 Apr. 2024
The Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation of the Alaska Airlines incident after a preliminary investigation found that four key bolts were not installed when the 737 Max 9 left Boeing's factory last year.
—Joel Rose, NPR, 25 Mar. 2024
Investigators say four bolts used to help secure the panel appeared to be missing after the plane was worked on at a Boeing factory in Renton, Washington.
—Julia Gomez, USA TODAY, 23 Mar. 2024
Even Lady Liberty was hit by rumbling thunderstorms, struck by a bolt of lightning Wednesday evening around 6 p.m. in a stunning moment captured by a photographer from Liberty State Park in New Jersey.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 4 Apr. 2024
Indeed, the bolt of energy was extinguished quickly.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 28 Mar. 2024
Verb
Body camera video of the incident played at the news conference shows Laing bolting through the yard and carrying a handgun.
—Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 12 Apr. 2024
The children bolted across the hallway to another classroom, where a student who had reported the boy was waiting.
—Justin Jouvenal, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
The book is probably best known for a dismal 1970 adaptation starring Raquel Welch and John Huston that remains bolted to lists of the worst-ever movies.
—Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024
The man fired two more shots as Kinnan bolted across the street and jumped a fence.
—Rozina Ali, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2024
But party leaders were anxious to keep him from bolting to the Republicans.
—Michael H. Brown, Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2024
Many then well-remembered how the Kansas City Athletics bolted for Oakland in 1968.
—Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 25 Mar. 2024
Their posts must be installed into the ground or bolted into a cement base.
—Samantha S. Thorpe, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Mar. 2024
The Russian air force began bolting satellite-guidance kits and pop-out wings onto 1,100-pound and 3,300-pound KAB bombs in order to produce crude, but effective, precision glide-bombs.
—David Axe, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bolt.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Bolt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bolt. Accessed 1 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bolt
1 of 3 noun1
: a missile (as an arrow) for a crossbow or catapult
2
a
: a lightning stroke : thunderbolt
b
: a sudden surprise
a bolt from the blue
3
: a sliding bar used to fasten a door
4
: the part of a lock worked by a key
5
: a metal pin or rod usually with a head at one end and a screw thread at the other that is used to hold something in place
6
: a roll of cloth or wallpaper
7
: the device that closes the breech of a firearm
bolt
2 of 3 verb1
: to move suddenly or nervously
2
: to move rapidly : dash
reporters bolted for the door
3
: run away sense 1
the horse shied and bolted
4
: to break away from or oppose one's political party
5
: to say thoughtlessly : blurt
6
: to fasten with a bolt
7
: to swallow hastily or without chewing
bolter
noun
bolt
3 of 3 noun
: an act of bolting
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