explodes

verb

present tense third-person singular of explode
1
as in detonates
to break open or into pieces usually because of internal pressure the building was wrecked when a powerful bomb exploded

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2
as in shatters
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in erupts
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 explodes The accusation rumbles, then explodes locally, drawing in authorities and prompting an investigation. — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026 Most is in the form of subatomic particles called neutrinos, which carry little energy individually but are generated in vast numbers when a star explodes. — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 14 Aug. 2026 Reacher explodes into action, kicking over a table, executing a backward roll into the guy behind him while handcuffed, then redirecting that guy’s tranq gun against the other Men in Black. — Chris Klimek, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2026 That first bump hits Tony with such a rush that the soundtrack explodes with boogielicious disco. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026 Continue reading … VIRUS RECKONING — COVID fury explodes as Fauci hearing revives 'insane' lockdown nightmare tales. — FOXNews.com, 31 July 2026 Every other year, the sleepy Hampshire town of Farnborough explodes in cosmopolitan confusion as exhibitors, delegates, industrial giants, politicians, media, and visitors estimated at 120,000 descend over a five-day period. — David Szondy july 23, New Atlas, 23 July 2026 The risk still explodes when proper people and processes aren't in place to properly triage and patch real vulnerabilities that can affect your organization. — Rj Friedman, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026 New Glenn explodes on launch pad in Florida The news comes about a month after the New Glenn rocket exploded in Florida, dealing severe damage to the surrounding infrastructure in Cape Canaveral. — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 8 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explodes
  1. detonates
  2. shatters
  3. erupts
  4. pops
  5. smashes
  6. blows
  7. demolishes
  8. destroys
Verb
  • If the ammunition detonates after penetration, the explosion is directed away from the crew compartment, significantly improving the crew’s chances of survival.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 30 June 2026
  • After the pass comes to Bridges, who detonates passersby at the basket regularly, White goes straight up, though with a little more oomph than usual.
    — Fred Katz, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Definition of detonates
Verb
  • But before any collective exhale can commence, the mood shatters.
    — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Inadvertently, our entry shatters the glass ceiling, since Georgia and I are the only girls there.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of shatters
Verb
  • Gunfire erupts following victory celebration Prosecutors have alleged that an argument between two groups escalated into gunfire in the crowded celebration.
    — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Social media erupts over cancellation, pleads to Mamdani Since the cancellation was announced, social media was inundated with posts in support of the show, with some even reaching out to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to intervene and save it.
    — Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of erupts
Verb
  • Between driving, walking while listening to podcasts, and firing off every random question that pops into my head, these might actually stick around.
    — Scott Kramer, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Toward the southern end of the park, the LeFrak Center offers ice skating in winter and roller skating in summer, and Smorgasburg, a Sunday local food fair, pops up from April to October.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of pops
Verb
  • That is less than half as many as the set that produced many of his signature smashes and turned him into a chart-topper.
    — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • For now, Paramount isn’t producing the billion-dollar box office smashes that drive millions of butts into theater seats (not to mention robust sales of novelty popcorn buckets).
    — Todd Spangler, Variety, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of smashes
Verb
  • 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
  • By the time Frey and Felder nearly came to blows backstage in the summer of 1980, however, those threads were too frayed to hold.
    — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of blows
Verb
  • An $8,000 Ryvid Anthem or a $10,000 Maeving RM1S will deliver broadly similar urban usability, while the $12,500 Zero FXE absolutely demolishes it on power-per-dollar.
    — Utkarsh Sood June 12, New Atlas, 12 June 2026
  • The latest filing demolishes the timeworn claim that DOGE was infiltrated into Social Security in order to responsibly ferret out fraud and overspending.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
Definition of demolishes
Verb
  • T cells, a type of immune cell that detects and destroys infected or abnormal cells, normally perform this inspection.
    — William A. Haseltine, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The white dwarf emits radiation and produces a giant gas bubble—the lion’s face—that destroys dust in its path.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of destroys

Browse Nearby Words

exploded
explodes
exploding
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Cite this Entry

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

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