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thunderclap

American  
[thuhn-der-klap] / ˈθʌn dərˌklæp /

noun

  1. a crash of thunder.

  2. something resembling a thunderclap, as in loudness or unexpectedness.

thunderclap British  
/ ˈθʌndəˌklæp /

noun

  1. a loud outburst of thunder

  2. something as violent or unexpected as a clap of thunder

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of thunderclap

First recorded in 1350–1400, thunderclap is from Middle English thonder clappe. See thunder, clap 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"On paper, this was another thunderclap quarter. And yet the stock dipped. The market is no longer pricing growth. It is pricing perpetuity."

From Barron's • Feb. 26, 2026

The couple’s deaths have sent a thunderclap through Hollywood and beyond, partly because the Reiners had so many friends and connections in creative and political circles.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 19, 2025

He remains a thunderclap from the baseline, but has options other than ferocious groundstrokes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 7, 2025

A local resident told Yonhap that he had been watching television at home when the explosion, which sounded "like a thunderclap", shook the house.

From BBC • Mar. 6, 2025

"Ah, but so help me, it is my business," Billy said with a thunderclap of laughter.

From "The Whipping Boy" by Sid Fleischman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.