To destroy a building or force people from their home by bombing; or (informal) to fail completely or be eliminated from a competition.
To destroy a place by dropping bombs, or to fail badly at something.
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
To destroy a building or area by bombing, or to force people to leave by bombing their home.
"Thousands of families were bombed out of their homes during the Blitz."
Many of them had been bombed out and had nowhere to live.
— George Orwell, 'The Lion and the Unicorn' (1941)
(Informal) To fail completely or to be eliminated from a competition or process.
"She bombed out in the second round of the singing competition after a string of wrong notes."
To force someone out of a building by bombing it.
To destroy a place by dropping bombs, or to fail badly at something.
The literal sense (wartime destruction by bombing) is common in historical and military contexts. The figurative sense (failing completely or being knocked out of a competition) is used informally in sports and business. 'Bombed out' as an adjective is very common in historical descriptions.
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
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