bolt
- noun
- /boʊlt/
- Literature
- His decision to leave the party was a bolt that surprised everyone.
Examples
-
The sudden resignation of the leader was a bolt that shook the organization.
-
When she announced her departure, it felt like a bolt from the blue.
-
I must say, this is a bolt from the blue for me.
-
This is a bolt from the blue.
-
That's a real bolt out of the blue.
Fiction book (1995) -
We thought you'd shot your bolt.
-
His mother came here to close the gap, heal the wounds, and she bolted at the last minute.
Synonyms
Leaving a country, group, or cause to join an opposing one
An act of leaving a group to be independent or a sudden move ahead in a race
Antonyms
Idioms
Compounds
A strong tool with long handles and heavy jaws for cutting metal, like locks or chains
A sudden bright flash in the sky during a storm that often comes before thunder
- Specialized
A metal rod with a round head and partial threads used to join wood through a hole
Two metal pieces, a bolt and a matching nut, that hold parts together by screwing
- US
A heavy screw with a large head that joins wood pieces when you turn it with a wrench
- Specialized
A metal screw with a spring part that opens inside a hollow wall to hold heavy items
- Jargon
An extra feature you add to a product or system to make it work better
- Specialized
A metal part that spreads inside a hole to hold heavy things to concrete or brick
- Specialized
A metal rod with a square or six-sided head and threads that you turn with a wrench
- Specialized
A small metal piece with a round or flat head that holds metal parts together
How Abrupt
- Literature
- Formal
- Formal
Surface Forms
Etymology
A political bolt — a sudden leaving — uses the same idea of 'shooting' away like an arrow. That's why a member's 'bolt' means they left quickly and unexpectedly.