bolt from the blue

noun phrase

variants or less commonly bolt out of the blue
: a complete surprise : something totally unexpected

Examples of bolt from the blue in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Certain stories are such a bolt from the blue, or transform in such unexpected ways, that their readers should aim to approach them with no information about what’s to come. Tajja Isen, The Atlantic, 11 Dec. 2024 Many of Israel’s greatest military triumphs have indeed come from audacious tactics such as the aerial bolt from the blue in 1967 and Sharon’s dash across the canal six years later. Shashank Joshi, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1856, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bolt from the blue was in 1856

Dictionary Entries Near bolt from the blue

Cite this Entry

“Bolt from the blue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bolt%20from%20the%20blue. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

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