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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of explosive
Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 10 Nov. 2025
The offense also didn’t have nearly as many explosive plays as the Saints.
—Charlotte Observer, 10 Nov. 2025
Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
About 10 minutes afterward, prosecutors said Williams texted Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and other city officials to warn about the bomb threat, suggesting the explosive was possibly in the city hall rotunda.
—Julia Marnin, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for explosive
Adjective
Previous Directors General, such as Davie’s immediate predecessor Tony Hall, who was also the final governor of Hong Kong, had backgrounds more in keeping with preserving national treasures, not powering explosive growth.
—Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 10 Nov. 2025
The offense also didn’t have nearly as many explosive plays as the Saints.
—Charlotte Observer, 10 Nov. 2025
Noun
The affidavit said Geri then threatened to test an explosive in the street.
—Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
About 10 minutes afterward, prosecutors said Williams texted Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and other city officials to warn about the bomb threat, suggesting the explosive was possibly in the city hall rotunda.
—Julia Marnin, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for explosive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explosive
Adjective
-
Gas and dust fall into a rotating disk around the black hole, and as the debris spirals more rapidly, it becomes superheated, releasing intense radiation.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
-
True Ipomea batatas has bright orange flesh (although modern varieties have much more intense colors than older forms), occasionally white and rarely purple.—
Paul Cappiello,
Louisville Courier Journal,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Rising number of violent incidents, 911 calls But reducing the inmate population did not solve the problem with drugs and violence.—
Kristine Phillips,
IndyStar,
5 Nov. 2025
-
After Maggie and Paul were shot to death on June 7, 2021, Alex was found guilty of two counts of murder and two counts of possession of a weapon during a violent crime, earning two consecutive life sentences without possibility of parole.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The bill passed in June without media attention, while bombs were dropping on Iran.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
-
And those advertisers that once chaffed at TV-MA content have been more willing to embrace racy fare in order to appeal to younger viewers who aren’t concerned with a few F-bombs or raw images.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
10 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Between 2022 and 2023, a team from Arkeologerna conducted an intensive investigation in the southernmost area of the former city.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Nov. 2025
-
The orbiters are expected to linger in a holding pattern before heading for Mars next year when the red planet is better aligned for a less fuel-intensive journey.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Just a big ferocious ball of meat, claws, and teeth.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Though the storm did not make a direct hit on Haiti, its ferocious rains caused rivers to flood and jump their banks.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The autonomous submarine then moved further into the sea before launching the torpedo.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Russian President Vladimir Putin has given state awards to the developers of the Burevestnik cruise missile and the Poseidon underwater torpedo, the latest signal in what analysts have cast as efforts by the Kremlin to discourage the West from supporting Ukraine.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
In intra-party diplo-speak, that was about as fierce a burn as can come from the party’s central committee.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
10 Nov. 2025
-
The city’s fierce weather pattern is fueled by the same Arctic air mass expected to sweep through the eastern two-thirds of the US this week.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
10 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Cue more furious backlash from the Democratic base.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Sources said Turness, the BBC News chief, was blocked by the board from making a statement, a turn of events that is said to have left her furious.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
10 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Explosive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explosive. Accessed 23 Nov. 2025.
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