Definition of detonate
detonated
;detonating
intransitive verb
: to explode with sudden violence
transitive verb
1 : to cause to detonate detonate a bomb — compare deflagrate
2 : to set off in a burst of activity : spark programs that detonated controversies
Read the Latest from M-W
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 of detonate from the Web
-
In 2009, AQAP sent Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, now known as the Underwear bomber, aboard an airliner headed to Detroit with the aim of detonating his explosives and killing everyone aboard.
-
A senior Ukrainian military intelligence officer was killed when a bomb detonated under his car in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev Tuesday, the Defense Ministry said, in an act the government is treating as terrorism.
-
Upon arrival, the royal couple stood in the foyer area of the arena, pausing in silence as they were shown the exact spot where the suicide bomb was detonated.
-
According to reports, the Islamic State had wired the al-Hadba' minaret and adjoining al-Nuri mosque with explosives, which were detonated as Iraqi troops approached.
-
Iraq's Ministry of Defense said the militants detonated explosives planted inside the structures on Wednesday night.
-
Ironically, it was detonated by another black stand-up comedian performing in a Philadelphia nightclub named Hannibal Buress.
-
On May 31, a few days after the start of Ramadan, a suicide attacker detonated a truck bomb in Kabul’s diplomatic quarter, killing around 90 people and injuring 400.
-
Also in the cooler were 5.56-caliber bullet casings with fuses that the FBI states could be used to detonate the HMTD.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'detonate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of detonate
French détoner to explode, from Latin detonare to expend thunder, from de- + tonare to thunder — more at 1thunder
DETONATE Defined for English Language Learners
detonate
playDefinition of detonate for English Language Learners
-
: to explode or to cause (something, such as a bomb) to explode
Learn More about detonate
-
See words that rhyme with detonate Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for detonate Spanish Central: Translation of detonate Nglish: Translation of detonate for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of detonate for Arabic speakers
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up detonate? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!