bombshell

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 Virgin River casting bombshell reveals 2 actors leaving the long-running series. Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Mar. 2026 Duffy slicked them flat at Saint Laurent, and Turner kept them lacquered at Hermès before sending bouncy bombshell iterations out at Alexander McQueen. Arden Fanning Andrews, Vogue, 11 Mar. 2026 But then the newspaper dropped another bombshell this month. Dan Walters, Oc Register, 4 Mar. 2026 That’s not to say there isn’t a company-wide stupor after last week’s bombshells. Michael Schneider, Variety, 2 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bombshell
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bombshell
Noun
  • The event that had precipitated this change was the 1973 Yom Kippur War, a surprise assault on Israel launched by Arab forces on the holiest day on the Jewish calendar.
    Eyal Press, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
  • Within days, China’s surprise intervention in the deal quickly shattered that hope, as Beijing stepped up efforts to discourage Chinese AI founders from moving their businesses offshore.
    Dylan Butts, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The prospect of a cooling economy alongside high inflation, touched off by an oil shock, has many analysts comparing the current period to the 1970s.
    Bart Jansen, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2026
  • More consumer price inflation, more lower-income stress Atsi Sheth, chief credit officer at Moody’s Ratings, said this is only the most recent shock for a petrochemical industry that has seen several in recent years, from Covid to Ukraine to the Red Sea issues and now the Strait of Hormuz.
    Kevin Williams, CNBC, 28 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • In the face of this uncertainty, companies and other organizations are preparing for a world in which the conflict — and subsequent jolt to crude prices — becomes a long-term challenge, affecting everything from travel planning to mail delivery.
    Dylan Butts, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2026
  • Then, as the pandemic waned, in 2023 and early ’24, came two jolts to the system – federal pandemic-era assistance ended, pulling food and food-related funding away from charities, and the number of people seeking food continued to grow.
    Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 29 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The revelation about Joseph Félix Badio, a former official in Haiti’s anti-corruption unit who was fired months before the brazen killing, emerged Monday during the cross-examination of an FBI official who served as a case agent.
    Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 24 Mar. 2026
  • The investigation was opened after a referral from France’s Foreign Ministry and follows revelations published in the Epstein files and subsequent reporting in France.
    ABC News, ABC News, 24 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Bombshell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bombshell. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.

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