kaboom

noun

ka·​boom kə-ˈbüm How to pronounce kaboom (audio)
plural kabooms
informal : the sound of an explosion or crash
heard a loud kaboom
—often used interjectionally
Have you ever watched metallic sodium hit water? Kaboom. Krakatau revisited …— Don Asher
But it seems to me that the minute you build an emergency fund—kaboom! Along comes an "emergency."— Jane Bryant Quinn
Phrases
go kaboom
1
informal : to explode or crash violently
… when the house exploded the night before, cops believed that it had been a drug factory that went kaboom …— Larry Celona and Ruth Brown
2
informal : to undergo a sudden, explosive change, failure, etc.
… a few crucial injuries can make the whole equation go kaboom.— Paul Zimmerman

Examples of kaboom in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
But then there was the kaboom of Pouchy’s dynamite, which has an even greater explosive payoff toward the end. — Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 14 June 2024 Small details may differ in each loop, but the basic sequence is always the same: Bernard gets to the bank, as do Mulder and Scully, law enforcement rushes in, Bernard panics, and the bank goes kaboom. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 10 Sep. 2023

Word History

Etymology

ka-, unstressed syllable prefixed to onomatopoeic words + boom entry 2

First Known Use

1876, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of kaboom was in 1876

Rhymes for kaboom

See All Rhymes for kaboom

Browse Nearby Words

kaboom
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Cite this Entry

“Kaboom.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kaboom. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.

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