out of a clear blue sky

Idioms

Also, out of the blue. Without warning, suddenly, as in Her offer to help us with the fundraising came out of a clear blue sky, or We got a check from Aunt Ruby out of the blue. These metaphoric terms allude to something dropping unexpectedly from the sky. [Late 1800s] Also see out of nowhere.

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.

Then one day, right out of a clear blue sky, Mama got a letter from Grandpa.

From Literature

Right out of a clear blue sky, Daisy said, “Jay Berry, what are you going to name your pony?”

From Literature

“You can have one come out of a clear blue sky.”

From Los Angeles Times

The sun shone into Anya’s face out of a clear blue sky.

From Literature

Devastation struck out of a clear blue sky for Yana Stepanenko.

From Seattle Times

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