bam

noun \ ˈbam \

Definition of bam

:a sudden loud noise —often used interjectionally to indicate a sudden impact or occurrence

was fine, then bam, he lost his job

See bam defined for English-language learners

Examples of bam in a Sentence

We heard a loud bam.

Recent Examples of bam from the Web

If the natural gas in those pipes escapes to mix with air, bam … there can be disaster.

— bill laitner, Detroit Free Press, "Iron or plastic? You'll take plastic, thank you, for your new gas main," 31 July 2017
As reporter Peter Rowe explains here and in his story on page A-1, these comic book pioneers shared many qualities, but their differences were — pow! bam!

— peter rowe, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Back Story: Jack Kirby and Will Eisner's fantastic, incredible, spirited influence on Comic-Con," 16 July 2017
There were streamers early in the show, and bam, pop, streamers again near the end.

— piet levy, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "The Chainsmokers' theatrics remain predictable during uninspiring Summerfest show," 4 July 2017
Bank of America (bam, +1.08%), Citigroup (c, -0.20%), Goldman Sachs (gs, -1.22%), Wells Fargo (wfc, -0.92%) and other banks have invested in blockchain startups, and many will roll out commercial blockchain products this year.

— jppullen, Fortune, "Alphabet Leads London-Based Blockchain’s $40 Million Funding Round," 22 June 2017
But then, bam, there was Orville, all over TV and the Internet.

— david wheeler, CNN, "The real story behind Trump's glowing orb," 22 May 2017
With just a few keystrokes, bam, the problem is fixed.

— eric limer, Popular Mechanics, "Debugging 33-Year-Old Code From a 1984 Episode of 'Airwolf'," 11 May 2017
Bams said the Spartans were ready this past Saturday night to make up for the loss to Colony in the CIF-SS 2AA final.

— steve fryer, Orange County Register, "Villa Park’s hidden strength is its dependable trio of role players," 22 Mar. 2017
Bams played a major role in Villa Park’s 9-0 run in the second period.

— tim tuttle, Orange County Register, "Franklins help Villa Park earn trip to finals," 27 Feb. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bam.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of bam

imitative

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1772

See Words from the same year

BAM

abbreviation

Definition of BAM

1 bachelor of applied mathematics

2 bachelor of arts in music

BAM Defined for English Language Learners

bam

noun

Definition of bam for English Language Learners

: a sudden loud noise

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