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
If they are gravely wounded, they have been instructed to detonate a grenade to avoid being captured alive, holding it under the neck with one hand on the pin as Ukrainian soldiers approach.
—
Marc Santora, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2025
In one report, a soldier teaches him how to detonate an explosive device.
—Ruth Margalit, The New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2025
Egypt is a regional lynchpin containing a potential powder keg of radical sentiment that if detonated would ricochet around the region, puncturing European and US interests.
—Nic Robertson, CNN, 5 Feb. 2025
Just a few days before a career Special Forces soldier detonated a rental truck outside a Trump hotel in Las Vegas, the U.S. Department of Defense released a report on the mental health of its troops.
—Anna Mulrine Grobe, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for detonate
Marc Santora, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2025
In one report, a soldier teaches him how to detonate an explosive device.
—Ruth Margalit, The New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2025
Egypt is a regional lynchpin containing a potential powder keg of radical sentiment that if detonated would ricochet around the region, puncturing European and US interests.
—Nic Robertson, CNN, 5 Feb. 2025
Just a few days before a career Special Forces soldier detonated a rental truck outside a Trump hotel in Las Vegas, the U.S. Department of Defense released a report on the mental health of its troops.
—Anna Mulrine Grobe, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for detonate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detonate
Verb
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Unless the rest of government is dramatically scaled back, that planned tax cut would explode the federal budget deficit.—
Robert B. Reich,
Hartford Courant,
25 Feb. 2025
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Raw eggs… Soda cans aren’t the only kind of item at risk of exploding in the freezer, according to Dr. Detwiler.—
Caroline Tien,
SELF,
25 Feb. 2025
Verb
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However, buying everything new for your space can get costly and can easily blow your budget.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
27 Feb. 2025
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Courtenay Brown Feb 14, 2025 - Economy Trump trade plan intensifies The Trump trade war has blown past the realm of tariffs.—
Courtenay Brown,
Axios,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Stewart played Miss Yvonne in the stage show The Pee-Wee Herman Show and CBS’s Pee-Wee’s Playhouse, and also popped up in several other projects throughout the Pee-wee-verse.—
Jennifer Zhan,
Vulture,
22 Feb. 2025
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However, if the bubble has not formed from a contaminated water source, residents can get rid of the bubble by popping it, peeling back the paint and allowing the area to dry.—
Tom Rogers,
Newsweek,
21 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Detonate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detonate. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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