bolt from the blue
Noun
Meaning
bolt from the blue (plural bolts from the blue)
A complete surprise; something totally unexpected.
His death came as a bolt from the blue.
Coordinate terms: act of God, accident
Synonyms
Examples
My first poem was a bolt from the blue ... it broke a spell of disillusion and suicidal despondence. ... it filled me with soul satisfying joy.
RAJKOT: The terrorist attack on Parliament came as a bolt from the blue to people of the city who, cutting across political affiliations called for retaliation in one voice.
This is a bolt from the blue for Asian students, who take up 62 percent of the current student population.
When announced, the abolition of high-value banknotes of 500 and 1,000 rupees ($7.50 and $15) came as a bolt from the blue.
The short-lived koala revolt was no bolt from the blue.
Tony Pasquariello, a partner at Goldman’s markets division, called the trading mayhem “a bolt from the blue, which is very disruptive for asset markets, and potentially the real economy.”