detonation

noun

det·​o·​na·​tion ˌde-tᵊn-ˈā-shən How to pronounce detonation (audio)
ˌde-tə-ˈnā-
1
: the action or process of detonating
2
: rapid combustion in an internal combustion engine that results in knocking

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
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.
The 30,000-pound bomb consists of steel, explosive and a fuse programmed to a specific detonation time. Arkansas Online, 27 June 2025 The 30,000-pound bomb is comprised of steel, explosive and a fuse programmed to a specific detonation time. Staff and Wire Reports, Boston Herald, 26 June 2025 The detonations, sometimes multiple times a day for weeks in a row, clearly weren’t legal. Scott Maxwell, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 June 2025 Israeli achievements in technical intelligence, cyberattacks, pager detonations, precision killings, mass civilian carnage, and more, may point the way to methods that will be employed by all and sundry. Hussein Agha, Foreign Affairs, 23 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for detonation

Word History

First Known Use

1686, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of detonation was in 1686

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Cite this Entry

“Detonation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detonation. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.

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