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 energy imparted would have been equivalent to 6 million tons of TNT, or basically a large nuclear detonation. —Keith Cooper, Space.com, 5 Mar. 2026

Given the prospect of nuclear war, humanity’s arsenal could indeed wipe out every living human on Earth from detonations and the ensuing fallout. —Big Think, 4 Mar. 2026

The Wall Street Journal reported that the nuclear detonation bet had spiked in popularity after the US and Israel’s deadly strikes in Iran. —Frank Landymore, Futurism, 4 Mar. 2026

Eventually, Mazda figured out how to prevent knock (unintended combustion, aka detonation) with gasoline in a higher compression cylinder. —New Atlas, 23 Feb. 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