detonate
verb
det·o·nate
ˈde-tᵊn-ˌāt 
ˈde-tə-ˌnāt
detonated; detonating
: to explode with sudden violence
1
: to cause to detonate
detonate a bomb
compare deflagrate
2
: to set off in a burst of activity : spark
programs that detonated controversies
Examples of detonate in a Sentence
The first atomic bomb was detonated in 1945.
the bomb detonated with a thunder that could be heard for blocks in all directions
Recent Examples on the Web
Trump has declared an all-out war on globalism, detonating every one of America's trading relationships — allies and adversaries alike — by imposing the largest tariffs in nearly a century.
—
Axios, 9 Apr. 2025
Then, the supernova explosion — one with more power than a thousand trillion trillion nuclear bombs — will detonate.
—Julian Dossett, Space.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Warfare plots, in real time, a surveillance mission in Ramadi gone awry when nearby Al Qaeda insurgents detonate a series of IEDs outside a housing building which the team has taken over.
—Gregory Nussen, Deadline, 28 Mar. 2025
Just before her head reached the Hot Topics table, Sara Haines reached over to help her colleague regain composure, while the Ghost actress enthusiastically hit her iconic bell to signal for further help in detonating the conversation before things moved on.
—EW.com, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for detonate
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Axios, 9 Apr. 2025
Then, the supernova explosion — one with more power than a thousand trillion trillion nuclear bombs — will detonate.
—Julian Dossett, Space.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Warfare plots, in real time, a surveillance mission in Ramadi gone awry when nearby Al Qaeda insurgents detonate a series of IEDs outside a housing building which the team has taken over.
—Gregory Nussen, Deadline, 28 Mar. 2025
Just before her head reached the Hot Topics table, Sara Haines reached over to help her colleague regain composure, while the Ghost actress enthusiastically hit her iconic bell to signal for further help in detonating the conversation before things moved on.
—EW.com, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for detonate
Cite this Entry
“Detonate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detonate. Accessed 28 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
detonate
verb
det·o·nate
ˈdet-ᵊn-ˌāt
ˈdet-ə-ˌnāt
detonated; detonating
: to explode or cause to explode with sudden violence
detonation
noun
ˌdet-ᵊn-ˈā-shən
ˌdet-ə-ˈnā-
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