How to Use thunderclap in a Sentence

thunderclap

noun
  • I was awakened by a thunderclap.
  • But then a pain in his neck and head came on like … a thunderclap.
    — Author: James Gorman, Anchorage Daily News, 10 Apr. 2018
  • That will shift with a thunderclap.
    — Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 Aug. 2025
  • Her triumph here should be a thunderclap for a sport in need of fresh stars.
    — Jason Gay, WSJ, 9 Sep. 2018
  • In this arid land, the splash of water echoes across the landscape like a thunderclap.
    — Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 13 Jan. 2023
  • The heavy snow will muffle the sound -- or thunderclap -- so it can only be heard up to about three miles.
    — February 22, CBS News, 22 Feb. 2026
  • What prepared you for the thunderclap in the midst of the backbreaking toil?
    — Greg Jackson, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2024
  • Then there’s a giant thunderclap, and the waves are crashing and hitting the rocks.
    — Christian Allaire, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2022
  • The change came like a thunderclap, and from an unexpected source.
    — David Bauder, The Seattle Times, 7 Nov. 2018
  • Cue a thunderclap and a statue of Jesus dripping a tear of blood.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 7 Feb. 2026
  • Your eyes perceive liftoff first as the sound races to catch up, like a bolt of lightning and the following thunderclap.
    — Jay Bennett, Popular Mechanics, 2 Mar. 2018
  • That Shakespearean thunderclap was her first time back on stage in 25 years.
    — Charles McNulty, latimes.com, 30 Mar. 2018
  • This type of headache, called a thunderclap headache, occurs quickly and without warning.
    — Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 11 Sep. 2024
  • On the podcast, anytime someone says the name of the podcast a thunderclap sound effect gets played.
    — Todd Spangler, Variety, 30 Aug. 2023
  • Without even turning preachy, for that matter, though the drama gets its thunderclap of a start from a sermon.
    — Tim Smith, baltimoresun.com, 18 Sep. 2017
  • The patient was fine, with no lingering damage, but thunderclap headaches are not to be dismissed.
    — Author: James Gorman, Anchorage Daily News, 10 Apr. 2018
  • Hardly anyone heard the recent thunderclap in the stock market.
    — Thomas Heath, Washington Post, 6 Sep. 2019
  • The thunderclap sound the 720s emits from downshifting is quite thrilling and is now my ringtone.
    — Kayvan Nikjou, Forbes, 3 Sep. 2021
  • Everywhere and always in Idlib, there is the thunderclap of shelling or the menacing roar of the jets.
    — Kareem Fahim, Washington Post, 26 Feb. 2020
  • The restlessness didn’t arrive as a thunderclap.
    — Jasmine Browley, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
  • Then, as suddenly as a thunderclap, silence fell on the battlefield.
    — Sam Kiley, CNN, 15 Aug. 2021
  • Counting seconds between a lightning flash and thunderclap is how anyone can tell how far away a thunderstorm is.
    — IEEE Spectrum, 15 Jan. 2024
  • From footsteps to thunderclaps, little is heard on set other than the actors’ dialogue.
    — Lisa Rosen, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2023
  • And wait at least 30 minutes after the last thunderclap before heading back outside.
    — Paul Douglas, Star Tribune, 18 May 2021
  • The noise was audible for miles, rolling across the countryside like booming thunderclaps in a boot-soaking rainstorm.
    — Michael S. Rosenwald, Washington Post, 19 May 2018
  • But news of her death still landed with a thunderclap across the British realm, where the queen was a revered figure and an anchor of stability.
    — Mark Landler, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2022
  • The book was an intellectual thunderclap and the reaction was fierce.
    — Michael Samaritano, National Review, 22 Sep. 2021
  • These bugs can hit 120 decibels, the intensity of a thunderclap.
    — Liz Langley, National Geographic, 7 Oct. 2017
  • In one memorable lesson, my uncle stood on the porch during a thunderstorm and called us outside to listen to the crash of thunderclaps.
    — Sadia Hassan, Longreads, 13 July 2018
  • Cranked to the max, the Gen 2 is capable of hitting 120 decibels—as loud as a thunderclap.
    — Gabriela Aoun, Outside Online, 10 Nov. 2021

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'thunderclap.' 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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