as in to explode
to break open or into pieces usually because of internal pressure
the bomb detonated with a thunder that could be heard for blocks in all directions
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Recent Examples of detonate
The unnamed writer of the email claimed to have created and placed a pipe bomb inside Williams' mailbox that would detonate if opened, according to a police report obtained by USA TODAY.
—
Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2025
An explosion detonates during the 25-second video.
—Arkansas Online, 7 Apr. 2025
Hamas is repurposing Israeli bombs that failed to detonate to booby-trap buildings and roads in preparation for another Israeli invasion.
—Amos Harel, Foreign Affairs, 7 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
See All Example Sentences for detonate
Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2025
An explosion detonates during the 25-second video.
—Arkansas Online, 7 Apr. 2025
Hamas is repurposing Israeli bombs that failed to detonate to booby-trap buildings and roads in preparation for another Israeli invasion.
—Amos Harel, Foreign Affairs, 7 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
See All Example Sentences for detonate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detonate
Verb
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In the decades following the Clifford Ball, the popularity of music festivals exploded, a trend that Phish inadvertently helped engineer.—
Amanda Petrusich,
New Yorker,
14 Apr. 2025
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One thing is clear: Nationwide injunctions against Trump’s policies by federal district court judges have exploded during his time in the White House, while those against the policies of Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden also increased, but to a much lesser extent.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Apr. 2025
Verb
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April 17, 2025 The wind gusts could blow around unsecured objects and a few power outages may occur, the National Weather Service advised.—
Ashley Fredde,
Idaho Statesman,
17 Apr. 2025
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Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index popped over 2%, leading gains in the region.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
14 Apr. 2025
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Apple shares popped more than 5% in the premarket on the news, while Nvidia gained 2%.—
Sean Conlon,
CNBC,
13 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Detonate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detonate. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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