explosion

noun

ex·​plo·​sion ik-ˈsplō-zhən 

1

: the act or an instance of exploding

injured in a laboratory explosion

2

: a large-scale, rapid, or spectacular expansion or bursting out or forth

the explosion of suburbia

an explosion of red hair

3

: the release of occluded breath that occurs in one kind of articulation of stop consonants

Synonyms

• blast
• blowup
• burst
• bursting
• detonation
• eruption
• outburst

Examples of explosion in a Sentence

The filmmakers staged the car's explosion.

The island was rocked by a series of volcanic explosions.

The region has experienced a population explosion.

His comments prompted an explosion of laughter from the crowd.

Recent Examples on the Web

According to a report from KPTV, the sudden explosion occurred inside a food truck owned by 4 Caminos Authentic Mexican Food in the downtown area of Vancouver, Wash., on Sunday, Dec. 15. —Gil MacIas, People.com, 23 Dec. 2024

Brunson’s explosion was a masterclass in resilience. —Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 22 Dec. 2024

The suit also alleges that the explosion caused damage to and interfered with their use of personal property. —Killian Baarlaer, The Courier-Journal, 21 Dec. 2024

On this day in 1907: Over 230 coal miners – men and boys, including many immigrants – died after an explosion inside Darr Mine in western Pennsylvania. —Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 19 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin explosion-, explosio act of driving off by clapping, from explodere

First Known Use

1681, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing explosion

• population explosion

Kids Definition

explosion

noun

ex·​plo·​sion ik-ˈsplō-zhən 

1

: the act or an instance of exploding

2

: a violent outburst of feeling

Medical Definition

explosion

noun

ex·​plo·​sion ik-ˈsplō-zhən 

: the act or an instance of exploding