explode

verb

ik-ˈsplōd How to pronounce explode (audio)
Definition of explodenext
1
as in to detonate
to break open or into pieces usually because of internal pressure the building was wrecked when a powerful bomb exploded

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to shatter
to cause to break open or into pieces by or as if by an explosive the bomb was so powerful that it exploded windows in several neighboring buildings

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to erupt
to develop suddenly and violently the mayor's latest unpopular decision caused long-suppressed resentment to explode into open anger

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 explode In the video, shared by Nixon on Instagram, Benton, Baranski and others in full regalia (bustles, corsets, the whole nine yards) huddle around the iPad of John Douglas Thompson, who plays Peggy’s father, before the room explodes. — Alison Herman, Variety, 22 Oct. 2026 Rates of Medicaid and Medicare fraud exploded in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, when many rules were loosened and oversight strained by efforts to expand care. — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026 As secondhand shopping has exploded in popularity, shopping on The RealReal has gotten increasingly competitive, so much so that the company sells a $12-per-month subscription allowing shoppers to get early access to new items. — Mia Sato, The Verge, 22 Oct. 2026 Waitlists for childcare assistance exploded, forcing low-income households to sideline a parent from the workforce or forgo necessities to foot a childcare bill. — ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for explode
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explode
  1. detonate
  2. shatter
  3. erupt
  4. blow
  5. smash
  6. pop
  7. demolish
  8. burst
Verb
  • An operation in Kenscoff In the mists of the steep hills that ring southern Port-au-Prince, CNN saw one Task Force operation where helicopters manned by foreign contractors assaulted gang positions, and drones detonated amid the clatter of gunfire.
    — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The police response has drawn criticism following an incident last week in which a 15-year-old boy lost his hand and part of his lower arm after picking up a police dispersal grenade that detonated during a demonstration in Lens.
    — Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of detonate
Verb
  • Overwhelmed police forces often failed to intervene as thousands of vandals, many wearing masks and caps that hid their faces, shattered storefront windows and walked off with merchandise.
    — Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
  • When Ida suddenly disappears, Sine’s world is shattered, yet her lost freedom, old friends, and acting career unexpectedly return.
    — Annika Pham, Variety, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of shatter
Verb
  • As dusk fell Saturday, violence erupted at the end of some of the 289 protests counted by the Interior Ministry nationwide.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Dorgham Halasa told the AP that intense gunfire erupted in the church some 15 minutes after the funeral service began.
    — James Cirrone, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of erupt
Verb
  • Stephen Curry scored 24 points, rookie Yaxel Lendeborg added 18 points, 13 rebounds and six assists in his home debut, but the Warriors blew it as Memphis capitalized with a 17-0 run.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Either way, that would widen the deficit and blow past the government's 5% GDP target.
    — Hugh Leask, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of blow
Verb
  • Protests last week devolved into mayhem, with people setting fires, storming public buildings, smashing shop windows, looting and clashing with police.
    — ELITSA GADEVA, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Rioters last weekend smashed their way into stores, targeting sneakers, athletic wear and sporting goods on streets that run off the city’s central Duomo square.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of smash
Verb
  • To shoppers, the chain disappears, until next September or so, when another store pops up somewhere in the neighborhood.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Many of these 13 tracks have popped up as demos in Jensen’s live shows or NTS sets, cooking down to their essence in plain sight.
    — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of pop
Verb
  • The building’s owner previously told The Star the building would not be demolished and that it could be redeveloped.
    — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The 18-year-old female elephant got loose from her handler outside her enclosure, then went on the run, demolishing the door of a saloon on North Avenue, smashing in the window of another and walking through the fence around a vacant lot.
    — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of demolish
Verb
  • When that bubble burst in the Panic of 1893, a third of railroads went bust, more than 500 banks failed, and the economy plunged into a four-year depression.
    — Ming Lu, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • When a bank of televisions showed horses bursting through the starting gate, feet stomped on the club’s carpet.
    — Abe Streep, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of burst

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explode
exploded
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Cite this Entry

“Explode.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explode. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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