as in to explode
to break open or into pieces usually because of internal pressure
the bomb detonated with a thunder that could be heard for blocks in all directions
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Recent Examples of detonate
The same group had previously claimed a suicide attack in June in which a gunman opened fire and then detonated an explosive vest inside a Greek Orthodox church in Dweil'a, on the outskirts of Damascus, killing 25 people as worshippers prayed on a Sunday.
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Arkansas Online, 27 Dec. 2025
Jayme Thornton Crossfire’s approach of detonating water balloons in midair—which has yet to be patented so the team would not describe it in detail—could eventually change the calculation about how much suppressant is needed to fight fires.
—IEEE Spectrum, 24 Dec. 2025
That was most evident with the two brothers who orchestrated the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, detonating two pressure-cooker bombs near the finish line that killed three people and injured more than 260 others.
—Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 23 Dec. 2025
While the pipe bombs did not detonate, both items were assessed as viable improvised explosive devices, police said.
—Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 22 Dec. 2025
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Recent Examples of Synonyms for detonate
Verb
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The popularity of sporting events in Greater Miami and Miami Beach has exploded in recent years, and the destination is now an essential part of many international sporting circuits.—
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Two years later, the police-community relations issue would explode with global reverberations when George Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who had kneeled on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes.—
Verb
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Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
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Somehow, this new sensation emitted an awareness of the magnitude in which skateboarding would warp my life, which only ratcheted up the anxiety of blowing it.—
Verb
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No injuries were reported after the incident, but airport staff who witnessed the landing described hearing multiple popping sounds as the wheels hit the tarmac followed by visible smoke.—
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The year before that, massive floating clown heads popped up in Downtown Crossing alleys, giving people a reason to look up from their phones.—
Cite this Entry
“Detonate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detonate. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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