detonate

verb

det·​o·​nate ˈde-tᵊn-ˌāt How to pronounce detonate (audio)
ˈde-tə-ˌnāt
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
detonatable
ˈde-tᵊn-ˌā-tə-bəl How to pronounce detonate (audio)
ˈde-tə-ˌnā-
adjective
detonative
ˈde-tᵊn-ˌā-tiv How to pronounce detonate (audio)
ˈde-tə-ˌnā-
adjective

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
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.
At the same time, a squad attempts to raid the lab, leading to a massive shoot-out culminating with the drug dealers detonating an explosive, destroying the lab. Keith Langston, People.com, 17 July 2025 Just a few weeks later, on August 6, 1945, the first atomic bomb used in warfare detonated approximately 580 meters above Hiroshima — a city of 350,000 located on the coastal plain of the Chugoku region in western Honshu, Japan. David Bressan, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025 In 1945: The Manhattan Project successfully detonated the world’s first atomic bomb at Alamogordo, New Mexico. Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 16 July 2025 The ship's private security team destroyed two USVs, but two others detonated against the hull. Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for detonate

Word History

Etymology

French détoner to explode, from Latin detonare to expend thunder, from de- + tonare to thunder — more at thunder entry 1

First Known Use

1729, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of detonate was in 1729

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Detonate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detonate. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

detonate

verb
det·​o·​nate ˈdet-ᵊn-ˌāt How to pronounce detonate (audio)
ˈdet-ə-ˌnāt
detonated; detonating
: to explode or cause to explode with sudden violence
detonation
ˌdet-ᵊn-ˈā-shən
ˌdet-ə-ˈnā-
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on detonate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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