detonating

verb

present participle of detonate
as in exploding
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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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of detonating Akhtar the author, though, is conducting a stealthy psyop aimed at detonating the certainties of combatants on both sides. — Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026 Jentleson compares the power of fusing race and these questions of fairness to detonating a nuclear warhead. — Isaac Arnsdorf, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2026 In a secret 1958 project, the Air Force considered detonating a nuclear bomb on the Moon. — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 17 Sep. 2026 McGuire also admitted to detonating the bomb in retaliation for various alleged government wrongs, including sheriff’s deputies seizing his firearms earlier that year. — Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026 Bad Company, a spy spoof starring Chris Rock and Anthony Hopkins as agents trying to stop a suitcase bomb from detonating in Manhattan, moved from Christmas to June. — Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2026 Bowie planned to put the bomb in a delivery bag and escape to Syria after detonating it, the complaint alleges. — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 20 Aug. 2026 Just weeks before her confrontation with Cunningham, Carrington sent shockwaves through the WNBA by publicly detonating her former relationship on social media. — Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026 Anvil is a smaller, faster aircraft designed to destroy hostile drones by colliding with them or detonating nearby. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detonating
  1. exploding
  2. blowing
  3. popping
Verb
  • Prosecutors said the fire smoldered underground for a week before exploding into the deadly Palisades fire.
    — Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Even at a time when golf is exploding in popularity, and greens fees are rising at the same rate, getting in a round at East Potomac is an inclusive experience.
    — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of exploding
Verb
  • Officials had budgeted $100,000 for the program and wound up blowing through that in just a few hours.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
  • While animal rights advocates have pushed for Congress to adopt legislation that would phase out the fur industry, buying out farmers over the course of a year to end the practice once and for all, winds in Congress are blowing the other direction.
    — Nat Lash, ProPublica, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of blowing
Verb
  • In other words, someone who spent $1,000 on what seemed like an outrageous baseball souvenir more than a decade ago could now have the opportunity to bring the whole family to the World Series without paying today's eye-popping resale prices.
    — Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • A lot of these names and others like Sam Altman are popping up in popular culture and in Hollywood now.
    — Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of popping

Browse Nearby Words

detonates
detonating
detonation
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Cite this Entry

“Detonating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detonating. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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