thunderbolt
noun
thun·der·bolt
ˈthən-dər-ˌbōlt 
1
a
: a single discharge of lightning with the accompanying thunder
b
: an imaginary elongated mass cast as a missile to earth in the lightning flash
2
a
: a person or thing that resembles lightning in suddenness, effectiveness, or destructive power
b
: a vehement threat or censure
Examples of thunderbolt in a Sentence
He was struck dead by a thunderbolt.
Recent Examples on the Web
Bouda, one-on-one with Palo Alto’s own Paul Blanchette and standing just inside the penalty box, used his powerful right foot to send a thunderbolt into the back of the net in the 77th minute.
—
Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 7 May 2024
While Hanuman is flying up to the sun, Indra, the king of the gods, strikes him with a thunderbolt, breaking his jaw and sending him hurtling to the ground.
—Aaron Boorstein, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Apr. 2024
The slices of raw eggplant, cabbage and green beans presented with the dip help mellow, only slightly, the rank thunderbolt that hits your tongue.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024
Zeus sends thunderbolts to kill the crew and break the ship.
—Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Feb. 2024
That means playing as Greek gods, fighting across Mount Olympus, and wielding Zeus’ thunderbolt.
—Andrew Webster, The Verge, 8 Mar. 2024
The Republican governor’s unexpected clemency for Reid arrived like a thunderbolt on Friday.
—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 7 Mar. 2024
Will tonight be a total misfire, a thunderbolt of controversy, or merely mediocre?
—Andy Hoglund, EW.com, 25 Feb. 2024
There’s a lot more to this saga than a missing thunderbolt.
—Christian Holub, EW.com, 15 Dec. 2023
Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 7 May 2024
While Hanuman is flying up to the sun, Indra, the king of the gods, strikes him with a thunderbolt, breaking his jaw and sending him hurtling to the ground.
—Aaron Boorstein, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Apr. 2024
The slices of raw eggplant, cabbage and green beans presented with the dip help mellow, only slightly, the rank thunderbolt that hits your tongue.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024
Zeus sends thunderbolts to kill the crew and break the ship.
—Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Feb. 2024
That means playing as Greek gods, fighting across Mount Olympus, and wielding Zeus’ thunderbolt.
—Andrew Webster, The Verge, 8 Mar. 2024
The Republican governor’s unexpected clemency for Reid arrived like a thunderbolt on Friday.
—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 7 Mar. 2024
Will tonight be a total misfire, a thunderbolt of controversy, or merely mediocre?
—Andy Hoglund, EW.com, 25 Feb. 2024
There’s a lot more to this saga than a missing thunderbolt.
—Christian Holub, EW.com, 15 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'thunderbolt.' 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
“Thunderbolt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thunderbolt. Accessed 18 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
thunderbolt
noun
thun·der·bolt
ˈthən-dər-ˌbōlt
: a flash of lightning and the thunder that follows it
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