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

Relevance

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 Prison Break exploded onto our TV screens in 2005, featuring an undeniable premise that kept viewers glued week after week. — Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Aug. 2026 The resulting blaze caused gas canisters inside the ambulances to explode, and nearby apartments and a synagogue were also damaged by the fire. — Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026 The restaurant’s expansion was slow at first, but by 1983, the first Panda Express was opened in a shopping male in Glendale, California, and the concept gradually exploded. — Preston Fore, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026 Following Parton’s death earlier this week, her streams have exploded, as a nation in mourning looks to celebrate her life and work once more. — Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 28 Aug. 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
  • However, Lai explained that the launcher could, in theory, deliver explosive payloads designed to detonate near a target.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The informants allegedly met with Bowie on Wednesday and provided her with an inert explosive device and an inert handgun along with instructions on how to detonate the explosive, the complaint said.
    — Jack Date, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of detonate
Verb
  • In addition, the original estimate that the Falcon 9 reusable boosters were only good for 10 flights has been shattered by the latest mission using a booster that had flown 37 times.
    — David Szondy August 25, New Atlas, 26 Aug. 2026
  • In 1985, the director Kevin Sullivan produced, with primary funding from the Canadian Broadcasting Company and support from PBS, a record-shattering Anne miniseries.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of shatter
Verb
  • One person was killed and at least 14 others were injured after gunfire erupted at a large gathering at a park on Chicago's South Side while police were attempting to disperse the crowd, authorities said.
    — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026
  • But weeks later, Miller, like the rest of us, watched from afar as Kabul fell and chaos erupted.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of erupt
Verb
  • It’s been a decade since the company best known for sucking up hair balls and dust bunnies blew with great force into the beauty business.
    — Jenny Bailly, Allure, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The Las Vegas spectacle, which opened to the public in August 2025, already blows audiences around with tornado-force wind, shakes them with haptic seats, sends giant winged monkeys flying overhead and drops hundreds of foam apples from the ceiling.
    — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of blow
Verb
  • And yet the company's earnings garners scant attention compared to those names, to say nothing of Nvidia, which smashed expectations last week.
    — Michael Khouw, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Bland said officers were dispatched after a 911 caller reported that Garcia had been walking down the street with a baseball bat, smashing car windows.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of smash
Verb
  • With automatic runner Jase Bowen on second base, Jake Cronenworth popped up a bunt, Bowen was thrown out trying to steal third and Machado struck out looking.
    — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
  • As the video popped up on social media and the Spanish-language Facebook group Danbury Al Dia, Hernandez grew uneasy.
    — Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of pop
Verb
  • Later demolished, the home sat directly across the street from a far more modern residence by a designer with ties to the Tao restaurant chain and the Venetian Las Vegas.
    — Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 25 Aug. 2026
  • That then will allow the existing Willowcreek Middle School to be demolished.
    — Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of demolish
Verb
  • Chinese authorities also warned that a barrier lake, which formed at the confluence of the Tsogyal and the Purupqiangzangbu rivers, is overflowing and may burst.
    — Niranjan Shrestha, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Sip local wines like Norton or Vignoles, hop around downtown, or wander through orchards bursting with ripe apples while leaves crunch underfoot.
    — Taryn Shorr-Mckee, Midwest Living, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of burst

Browse Nearby Words

explicitness
explode
exploded
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Explode.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explode. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All