detonate
verb
det·o·nate
ˈde-tᵊn-ˌāt 
ˈde-tə-ˌnāt
detonated; detonating
: to explode with sudden violence
1
: to cause to detonate
detonate a bomb
compare deflagrate
2
: to set off in a burst of activity : spark
programs that detonated controversies
Examples of detonate in a Sentence
The first atomic bomb was detonated in 1945.
the bomb detonated with a thunder that could be heard for blocks in all directions
Recent Examples on the Web
More recently, an al Qaeda operative and suspected mastermind behind the 2000 USS Cole bombing — in which suicide bombers sidled up alongside a US warship, waved to the sailors and then detonated explosives — was charged with perfidy, among other crimes.
—
Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026
In December the group detonated a car bomb in a municipality located along a top cocaine-trafficking route, killing four police officers.
—Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2026
Since the end of the Second World War, the United States and its allies had maintained a system of humanitarian interventionism, until the President so delightedly detonated it.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2026
Nix quelled doubt from a rocky start with a 295-yard game in that Kansas City win, and detonated for four touchdowns against the Packers three weeks later.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for detonate
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Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026
In December the group detonated a car bomb in a municipality located along a top cocaine-trafficking route, killing four police officers.
—Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2026
Since the end of the Second World War, the United States and its allies had maintained a system of humanitarian interventionism, until the President so delightedly detonated it.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2026
Nix quelled doubt from a rocky start with a 295-yard game in that Kansas City win, and detonated for four touchdowns against the Packers three weeks later.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for detonate
Cite this Entry
“Detonate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detonate. Accessed 23 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
detonate
verb
det·o·nate
ˈdet-ᵊn-ˌāt
ˈdet-ə-ˌnāt
detonated; detonating
: to explode or cause to explode with sudden violence
detonation
noun
ˌdet-ᵊn-ˈā-shən,
ˌdet-ə-ˈnā-
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