1
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect
there's been an explosive interest in the sport since the Olympics
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in violent
marked by bursts of destructive force or intense activity
one of the most explosive storms to hit that area of the coast in some time
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of explosive
Ben Morse, CNN, 8 Dec. 2024
Miu Miu’s recent growth has been explosive, with retail revenues soaring 97 percent in the first nine months of the year to 854 million euros.
—Luisa Zargani, WWD, 6 Dec. 2024
T.j. English, People.com, 30 Nov. 2024
Unstable Walls The deepest open pit in the Earth is the Bingham Canyon Mine in Utah, which was dug with excavators and explosives in the early 1900s to mine copper ore.
—Andrew Gase, Discover Magazine, 30 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for explosive 
Adjective
Neither team have been explosive on offense despite their star quarterbacks – Patrick Mahomes for Kansas City and Justin Herbert for Los Angeles – but both have excelled on defense.
—Ben Morse, CNN, 8 Dec. 2024
Miu Miu’s recent growth has been explosive, with retail revenues soaring 97 percent in the first nine months of the year to 854 million euros.
—Luisa Zargani, WWD, 6 Dec. 2024
Noun
The plan was to import pure cocaine into the U.S. from sources in Latin America, sell the product in the U.S., and use that money to procure guns, ammunition and explosives to be shipped to the Contras in Central America.
—T.j. English, People.com, 30 Nov. 2024
Unstable Walls The deepest open pit in the Earth is the Bingham Canyon Mine in Utah, which was dug with excavators and explosives in the early 1900s to mine copper ore.
—Andrew Gase, Discover Magazine, 30 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for explosive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explosive
Adjective
-
The warm front is a sharp contrast to the close of last week when an arctic surge swept across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic with snow squalls, whiteouts and intense bursts of wind that left 20 million Americans under winter weather warnings or advisories.Susan Miller, USA TODAY, 9 Dec. 2024
-
Becoming a professor requires years and years of intense study, often carried out in isolation and poverty.Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 8 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
After a violent campaign in which Buddhists killed a number of priests and destroyed churches, in 1909, locals built the church that Galipeau visited in Cizhong.Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 17 Dec. 2024
-
Prosecutors also said that some of the violent pornography Heuermann owned included methods consistent with the injuries to Mack's body and how she was bound with ropes.Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY, 17 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
When Lebanon's Prime Minister Rafik Hariri began to push back against Syrian control, he was killed in a massive truck bomb in 2005.Greg Myre, NPR, 8 Dec. 2024
-
Farther astern from where Fernandez stood, a 500-pound bomb landed, piercing three decks and detonating another magazine.Thomas Curwen, Los Angeles Times, 7 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Read More: How Leaked Police Interviews with Benjamin Netanyahu Became ‘The Bibi Files’ The only other Gaza City hospital with a NICU, Al-Sahaba hospital, operates under limited capacity, and is only able to offer basic level one care to infants— those without complex or intensive medical needs.Juwayriah Wright, TIME, 13 Dec. 2024
-
The company also provides intensive and critical care units; cardiovascular, digestive disease, neurosciences, musculoskeletal and obstetrics services; and outpatient services like physical therapy.Charles Rotblut, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Light winds, increasing humidity and a chance of rain are forecast to bring relief to Los Angeles on Thursday after dry and windy conditions fueled the spread of the ferocious Franklin fire in Malibu this week.Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2024
-
Tehran, Washington, and five other world powers later inked an agreement to limit Iran’s nuclear program in 2015, despite ferocious lobbying from Israeli leaders.Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Six more torpedoes struck the ship, ripping its port side open.Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 6 Dec. 2024
-
Collectors can also bid on pocket watches recovered from the Lusitania, the British ocean liner that sank after being hit by a German torpedo in 1915.Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
With his reputation and legacy on the line, Jay-Z is in for a fierce fight.Molly McPherson, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
-
Bridging the hoedown and the ballroom, Beyoncé alternates between angelic croons and fierce commands over a thumping bassline and a springy acoustic guitar.Stephen Kearse, TIME, 9 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
These winds can cause significant damage, increase the frequency of wildfires, and make firefighting efforts more challenging, while also posing aviation hazards and creating turbulent surf conditions.Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024
-
The special finds Iglesias in his 27th year in comedy, reminiscing on the perils of life: from dating, to home break-ins, to turbulent plane rides.Matt Grobar, Deadline, 11 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near explosive
Cite this Entry
“Explosive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explosive. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share