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
Proper told investigators that a group planned to stage a demonstration outside the White House, fly small drones laden with explosives to detonate outside the arena to force the crowd to evacuate, and act as snipers to shoot people fleeing the event.
—
Noe Padilla, USA Today, 16 June 2026
According to the complaint, the group allegedly planned to stage a demonstration on the north side of the White House while drones carrying explosive devices detonated over the event venue.
—Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 16 June 2026
At the end of March, the New York Times reported that these missiles had been detonated above civilian areas in the Iranian city of Lamerd in February.
—Ari Sen, Scientific American, 13 June 2026
There were two car bombs on Tuesday in Moscow — one that detonated in the morning in eastern Moscow and one that was identified by security services in southwestern Moscow.
—Reuters, NBC news, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for detonate
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.
Noe Padilla, USA Today, 16 June 2026
According to the complaint, the group allegedly planned to stage a demonstration on the north side of the White House while drones carrying explosive devices detonated over the event venue.
—Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 16 June 2026
At the end of March, the New York Times reported that these missiles had been detonated above civilian areas in the Iranian city of Lamerd in February.
—Ari Sen, Scientific American, 13 June 2026
There were two car bombs on Tuesday in Moscow — one that detonated in the morning in eastern Moscow and one that was identified by security services in southwestern Moscow.
—Reuters, NBC news, 10 June 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 19 Jun. 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-
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
