# shot heard round the world

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/shot-heard-round-the-world
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Any cataclysmic event

## Examples

- The sudden market crash was a shot heard round the world.
- When the popular social media platform shut down unexpectedly, it was a shot heard round the world for digital businesses everywhere.
- The unexpected resignation of the long-serving prime minister acted as a shot heard round the world, triggering political instability across the entire continent.

## Origin

From the 1837 poem Concord Hymn by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.