1
as in detonates
to break open or into pieces usually because of internal pressure
the building was wrecked when a powerful bomb exploded
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shatters
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in erupts
to develop suddenly and violently
the mayor's latest unpopular decision caused long-suppressed resentment to explode into open anger
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of explodes
Not the kind that explodes into shouting matches, but the silent, slow-burning kind.
—
Stephan Lendi, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
As Kevin, a truly reluctant hero who can’t escape his fundamental goodness, attempts to drive the kids and Mary across town, the Camp Fire explodes.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 6 Sep. 2025
Conclave feels like a very architectural, sparse, mathematical film, [whereas] Ballad felt to me like a chaotic pop opera that explodes at the seams.
—Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
The family’s life explodes after a stunning revelation Aaron and Heather Spencer live on a farm near Cabot, a city of about 27,000 people some 25 miles from the state capital of Little Rock.
—Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2025
The ball explodes off his foot.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2025
Inside, Isaac-Slurp regains consciousness and then everything explodes.
—Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2025
Just about everything explodes along the way.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 3 Sep. 2025
The gas main catches fire and the house explodes, killing Mirren, Johnny and Gat.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 22 Aug. 2025
Stephan Lendi, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
As Kevin, a truly reluctant hero who can’t escape his fundamental goodness, attempts to drive the kids and Mary across town, the Camp Fire explodes.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 6 Sep. 2025
Conclave feels like a very architectural, sparse, mathematical film, [whereas] Ballad felt to me like a chaotic pop opera that explodes at the seams.
—Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
The family’s life explodes after a stunning revelation Aaron and Heather Spencer live on a farm near Cabot, a city of about 27,000 people some 25 miles from the state capital of Little Rock.
—Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2025
The ball explodes off his foot.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2025
Inside, Isaac-Slurp regains consciousness and then everything explodes.
—Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2025
Just about everything explodes along the way.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 3 Sep. 2025
The gas main catches fire and the house explodes, killing Mirren, Johnny and Gat.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explodes
Verb
-
Determined to finish the job, Dante detonates explosives on the dam itself.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
24 Aug. 2025
-
Toussaint is killed in the penultimate episode after Shagan detonates a bomb on Saskia’s computer.—
Nicole Briese,
People.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
That embryonic Xenomorph then shatters its container and leaps at Wendy, who pets it gently.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
27 Aug. 2025
-
Trump's action shatters this precedent, inviting chaos.—
Dan Irvine,
Forbes.com,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Gunfire erupts at Minneapolis Catholic school.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
28 Aug. 2025
-
Social media erupts with assumptions about psychiatric conditions.—
Victor Petreca,
Time,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Flare pops up as a soft white glow, and the lens also shows some purple and green ghosts, depending on the angle and intensity of the backlight.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Mick Jagger pops up and lends a few thoughts.—
Caleb Hammond,
IndieWire,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
At a single, two-minute dinner, Hermann Kafka smashes a cockroach while denigrating his son’s engagement to Felice Bauer before reiterating his distaste for Franz’s writing.—
Sam Bodrojan,
IndieWire,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Excitement around the closing stretch is spilling onto the charts in the United Kingdom, as a wave of Coldplay smashes return and rise this frame.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Paul finds out and blows his top.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
4 Sep. 2025
-
The mechanism blows inert gas across the fusion zone, preventing oxidation during the printing process.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Liposuction surgically removes fat cells, while cryolipolysis freezes and destroys them.—
Bryant Stamford,
The Courier-Journal,
29 Aug. 2025
-
But the loving couple’s equilibrium hits a major bump when a freak coastal storm destroys Theo’s new building before its inauguration and viral videos compound his humiliation.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Explodes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explodes. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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