detonation

noun

det·​o·​na·​tion ˌde-tᵊn-ˈā-shən 

ˌde-tə-ˈnā-

1

: the action or process of detonating

2

: rapid combustion in an internal combustion engine that results in knocking

Synonyms of detonation

• explosion
• eruption

Examples of detonation in a Sentence

there was a series of detonations around the base of the condemned building, causing it to come crashing down in a matter of minutes

Recent Examples on the Web

Lebanese officials have objected to the Israeli military’s ongoing detonation of homes and other buildings in southern Lebanon amid negotiations to expand the pilot zones. — ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026

Protecting pilot vision A nuclear weapon produces an intense burst of thermal and visible light within fractions of a second after detonation. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 7 Aug. 2026

Gripped by a summer of weather extremes, Romania recently shut down its sole working nuclear reactor cooled by the Danube for the first time, with Bucharest even deploying naval forces to carry out underwater detonations to improve water flow. — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 5 Aug. 2026

If The Odyssey lit the fuse, Spider-Man is the looming detonation. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 30 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1686, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for detonation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation