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
  • Although the Cabinet members’ wins add to a growing GOP tradition in Florida — a Democrat hasn’t won statewide in the Sunshine State since 2018 — Democrats on Tuesday won surprise victories in congress and the state legislature.
    — Liv Caputo, Miami Herald, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Neither side has budged following Tusk’s surprise raid on the Constitutional Tribunal, through which his government ushered out the court’s president and vice president before installing ideologically sympathetic replacements.
    — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of surprise
Noun
  • In the 1994 midterms, when Bill Clinton’s presidency was bludgeoned half to death by the Newt Gingrich revolution, The New Yorker’s Michael Kelly described the punch-drunk shock inside the White House.
    — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Europe, a net energy importer, is vulnerable to external energy shocks and has seen prices rise steadily since the start of the Iran war.
    — Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of shock
Noun
  • In a very short time, Rider tweaked Celine’s mostly classic men’s wardrobe with little jolts of fashion, helpings of preppy, winks to the past and a very distinctive patina and hand — nothing too bright, stiff or high-contrast.
    — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 27 Oct. 2026
  • In the bystander’s footage from behind, a screeching noise is heard before the Tahoe jolts forward.
    — Eduardo Cuevas, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of jolt
Noun
  • Gainey could not be reached for comment, but while the current O'Connor administration has been cooperating with investigators, Chief of Staff Dann Gilman said these revelations are disturbing.
    — Andy Sheehan, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026
  • This season, the lawyers of Grant, Ronson & Greene face internal power struggles, shifting loyalties among the founders, a hostile takeover attempt and a shocking revelation that threatens the very existence of their divorce law firm.
    — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 3 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 6 Nov. 2026.

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