implosion

noun

im·​plo·​sion im-ˈplō-zhən How to pronounce implosion (audio)
1
: the action of imploding
2
: the act or action of bringing to or as if to a center
also : integration
This implosion of cultures makes realistic for the first time the age-old vision of a world culture … —Kenneth Keniston
3
: the inrush of air in forming a suction stop
implosive
im-ˈplō-siv How to pronounce implosion (audio)
-ziv
adjective or noun

Examples of implosion in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Thanks to a demolition crew’s early Saturday morning implosion, an 18-story office tower that has hung over Clairmont Road in Chamblee for about five decades has been reduced to rubble. — Savannah Sicurella, AJC.com, 24 Oct. 2026 The Titan had suffered a catastrophic implosion; the five men had died before their brains had even had time to register what was happening. — Julia Buckley, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026 An exact date for the implosion of the convention center arena has not been set, Bennett said. — Emily Holshouser, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Sep. 2026 The notion that Iran would sit back as its economy moved ever closer to implosion was not grounded in reality. — Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 15 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for implosion

Word History

Etymology

in- entry 2 + -plosion (as in explosion)

First Known Use

1877, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of implosion was in 1877

Rhymes for implosion

See All Rhymes for implosion

Browse Nearby Words

imploringness
implosion
implosive
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Implosion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/implosion. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

implosion

noun
im·​plo·​sion im-ˈplō-zhən How to pronounce implosion (audio)
: the action of imploding
implosive
-ˈplō-siv How to pronounce implosion (audio)
-ziv
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on implosion

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about implosion

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