1
as in to detonate
to break open or into pieces usually because of internal pressure
the building was wrecked when a powerful bomb exploded
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to shatter
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 to erupt
to develop suddenly and violently
the mayor's latest unpopular decision caused long-suppressed resentment to explode into open anger
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of explode
As disappointing as that may be to some fans, in an industry driven by recurring revenue models and exploding development costs, by comparison, Playground Productions is betting on a more honest path, positioning Backyard Sports as the antidote to it all.
—
Jake Lang, Rolling Stone, 7 Feb. 2025
Footage captured by Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV’s helicopter shows the fireworks exploding on the lawn.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Feb. 2025
That was especially true of West Altadena, an area that got an evacuation order many hours after the Eaton fire exploded last month.
—Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2025
The Palisades fire exploded to more than 23,000 acres.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 31 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for explode 
Jake Lang, Rolling Stone, 7 Feb. 2025
Footage captured by Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV’s helicopter shows the fireworks exploding on the lawn.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Feb. 2025
That was especially true of West Altadena, an area that got an evacuation order many hours after the Eaton fire exploded last month.
—Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2025
The Palisades fire exploded to more than 23,000 acres.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 31 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for explode
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explode
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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In Mexico, a period of relative calm was shattered with the killing of five journalists as gangs and political groups clashed ahead of the June 2024 election.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
12 Feb. 2025
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Officers recovered 15 9 mm shell casings from a Jan. 28 afternoon skirmish involving four people in a store parking lot in the 8300 block of Roberts Road that sprayed bullets into a car, shattering the rear windshield and flattening two tires, police said.—
Dennis Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The chaos first erupted during last week’s Roundtable when Survivor’s Caorlyn Wiger attacked her fellow Traitor, Big Brother’s Danielle Reyes, for dropping her name while Danielle tried to vote out Survivor’s Boston Rob Mariano.—
Dalton Ross,
EW.com,
7 Feb. 2025
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In 1989 and 1990, the George H.W. Bush Administration promoted negotiations to end the first intifada — a Palestinian uprising that erupted in 1987 — on a land-for-peace basis.—
Peter L. Hahn / Made by History,
TIME,
6 Feb. 2025
Verb
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You might be surprised at the amount of information that pops up.—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
Fox News,
8 Feb. 2025
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Check out the companies making headlines before the bell: Affirm Holdings — Shares of the payment company popped 14% after Affirm exceeded earnings and revenue expectations for the fiscal second quarter .—
Pia Singh,
CNBC,
7 Feb. 2025
Verb
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These carnivorous crustaceans pack a powerful punch that can smash mollusk shells at speeds of up to 50 miles per hour and even break glass.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
7 Feb. 2025
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France’s Ad Vitam has entered Netflix’s all-time top ten for most popular non-English movies on its platform one week after Culpa Tuya smashed records for Amazon.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
7 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The Spartans jumped out to an early lead in the first quarter, but blew the game open in the second behind Blair’s playmaking.—
Nathan Canilao,
The Mercury News,
16 Feb. 2025
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Finer orders pizza, Kate G. puts on music, Paige (receptionist) throws open windows to let crazy pre-rain breeze blow through.—
George Saunders,
The Atlantic,
14 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The Crimson Tide have won their last seven games, most recently demolishing Texas 103-80 on Tuesday.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
15 Feb. 2025
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While exploring the basement of a building slated to be demolished for the upcoming office tower, the scientists unearthed the remains of what once served as the foundation of a two-story building, nearly as large as an Olympic swimming pool.—
Sophia Compton,
Fox News,
14 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Over time, the blisters burst, ooze, and scab over.—
Brittany Risher,
SELF,
7 Feb. 2025
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VanZant burst onto the scene in the UFC and won her first three fights in the Octagon before losing out to Rose Namajunas via fifth-round submission in a gutsy, but one-sided, defeat in December 2015.—
Yaakov Katz,
Newsweek,
7 Feb. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Explode.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explode. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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