1
as in disaster
something that has failed
her tell-all book was a bomb that landed on the remainder tables with a thud
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fortune
British
a very large amount of money
that stay at Claridge's cost a bomb, but it was worth it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to barrage
to attack with a rapid or overwhelming outpouring of many things at once
following the reporter's obscene outburst, viewers bombed the television station with an unprecedented number of complaints
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to race
slang
to proceed or move quickly
skiers bombing down the slope vied for the coveted gold medal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to collapse
to be unsuccessful
the chichi restaurant bombed big-time, lasting only six months
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to throw
to defeat by a large margin
it's no surprise that the inexperienced baseball team got totally bombed in its first game
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 bomb
Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2025
To prevent roadside bomb ambushes in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Americans learned to get ahead of the problem and hunt down the men who built and distributed the bombs.
—David Axe, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025
Stanley Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 17 Mar. 2025
The then-senator bombed while running for president in 2020 and was trailing badly — most notably in her home state — before dropping out ahead of the primaries.
—George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bomb
Noun
The discrepancy between the figures could not be immediately reconciled, though the Houthis could be counting individual pieces of ordnance launched, rather than a single event with multiple bombs used, as ACLED does.
—Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2025
To prevent roadside bomb ambushes in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Americans learned to get ahead of the problem and hunt down the men who built and distributed the bombs.
—David Axe, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025
Verb
Pelicans bombed into the water like boys at a public swimming pool.
—Stanley Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 17 Mar. 2025
The then-senator bombed while running for president in 2020 and was trailing badly — most notably in her home state — before dropping out ahead of the primaries.
—George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bomb
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bomb
Noun
-
All the while, he’s typically dressed in a form-fitting dress, a shoulder-length wig and heeled boots (because open-toed shoes around hatchets and augers could spell disaster).—
Scottie Andrew,
CNN Money,
30 Mar. 2025
-
However, he’s also had his share of expensive disasters, such as Joao Felix, Santiago Arias and Nikola Kalinić.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes.com,
30 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
These are people just outside the top set but still deeply involved in the industries, trends and politics that shape its fortunes and regularly attend the meetings.—
Radu Magdin,
Forbes,
20 Mar. 2025
-
However, the party’s fortunes in the polls have since improved amid a trade war with the United States.—
Max Saltman,
CNN,
20 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Just as often as not, what results from this impulse to lightly fictionalize a recent news story is an overly straightforward telling of the same facts we’ve been barraged with already.—
Angie Han,
The Hollywood Reporter,
18 Mar. 2025
-
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) tried to dismiss the controversy when he was barraged by television camera crews outside his office in the Dirksen Building on Tuesday morning.—
Alexander Bolton,
The Hill,
22 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Bowman raced to the top of the leaderboard in qualifying Saturday, during which the red-hot Josh Berry earned the other starting spot on the front row.—
Sam Navarro,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Mar. 2025
-
After The Bachelor premiered in 2002 and became an instant hit for ABC, other networks raced to create their own addictive dating show.—
Kristen Baldwin,
EW.com,
20 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
The quake also caused a skyscraper in Bangkok, Thailand, to collapse.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2025
-
Dramatic videos show buildings collapsing and swaying in Thailand. 4:09 A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake rattled much of Southeast Asia on Friday, resulting in mounting casualties and flattened skyscrapers from Myanmar to Thailand.—
Mark Osborne,
ABC News,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Later, after realizing her own traumatic truth, Lola throws a rock at the strangers’ window during another fight, as if to symbolize their own internal conflicts urging to break free.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
30 Mar. 2025
-
The slower a pitcher throws, the finer the margins of success.—
Daniel R. Epstein,
Forbes.com,
30 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
By the way, it was attacked from the Pentagon and from the White House as being fake news that this was going to happen and Elon Musk denounced the leak.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Mar. 2025
-
This was a departure from Mourinho and Conte, who both moaned about investment, attacked the club culture, exited unceremoniously, and bad-mouthed them afterward.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Related article Research team reports longest successful transplant of a pig kidney into a human A successful pig liver transplant would be a major advance for people with acute liver failure, even as a temporary bridge while awaiting a human donor organ.—
Jen Christensen,
CNN Money,
26 Mar. 2025
-
Parading out amendments destined for failure is not leadership.—
Christopher Eric Bouchat,
Baltimore Sun,
26 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bomb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bomb. Accessed 5 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share