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

The design also addresses a common weakness of detonation engines. —Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 15 Jan. 2026

Hypersonic flight may seem like the biggest shove to the envelope since the sound barrier was broken in 1947 and rotating detonation may look like a quantum leap in propulsion, but combining the two shows how far both of these have come in recent years. —New Atlas, 14 Jan. 2026

Silva saw two fires on the runway that were quickly put out, and reported hearing similar detonations and planes flying low over Caracas for at least an hour. —Rachel Treisman, NPR, 3 Jan. 2026

However, there’s a palpable atmosphere of tension amidst what’s happening with these detonations. —Keir Simmons, NBC news, 3 Jan. 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