bombshell

noun

bomb·​shell ˈbäm-ˌshel 

1

: bomb sense 1a

2

a

: one that is stunning, amazing, or devastating

The book was a political bombshell.

b

: a person who is the cause and object of sensational and usually widespread attention, excitement, or attraction

a blonde bombshell [=a glamorously attractive blonde woman]

Synonyms of bombshell

• surprise
• shock
• jolt
• revelation

Examples of bombshell in a Sentence

discovering that I had a long-lost sister was an absolute bombshell

Recent Examples on the Web

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

OpenAI just published a set of solutions to longstanding problems in math that went off like a bombshell in the field. — Robert Hart, The Verge, 28 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1651, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing bombshell

• drop a bombshell

Rhymes for bombshell

• barbell
• bedwell
• befell
• bluebell
• bridewell
• capelle
• cartel
• carvel
• clamshell
• cogswell
• compel
• dispel

Kids Definition

bombshell

noun

bomb·​shell -ˌshel 

1

: bomb entry 1 sense 1a

2

: a great surprise