explosion

noun

ex·​plo·​sion ik-ˈsplō-zhən How to pronounce explosion (audio)
1
: the act or an instance of exploding
injured in a laboratory explosion
2
: a large-scale, rapid, or spectacular expansion or bursting out or forth
the explosion of suburbia
an explosion of red hair
3
: the release of occluded breath that occurs in one kind of articulation of stop consonants

Examples of explosion in a Sentence

The filmmakers staged the car's explosion. The island was rocked by a series of volcanic explosions. The region has experienced a population explosion. His comments prompted an explosion of laughter from the crowd.
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.
But Intel failed to foresee the explosion of the smartphone industry in the 2010s and then the artificial intelligence revolution a decade later. Tiana Lowe Doescher, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025 The explosion of attention was traumatizing — death threats slipped under her dorm room door, paparazzi combed through her trash, and she was forced off campus with round-the-clock security. Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025 Chris and Emilia’s conversation is suddenly interrupted by a premature explosion, which was caused by a clumsy member of a militia group called the Sons of Liberty. Scott Meslow, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025 By his own admission, they were completely dismembered by the explosion. Michael Jerome Plunkett september 5, Literary Hub, 5 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for explosion

Word History

Etymology

Latin explosion-, explosio act of driving off by clapping, from explodere

First Known Use

1681, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of explosion was in 1681

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Explosion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/explosion. Accessed 6 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

explosion

noun
ex·​plo·​sion ik-ˈsplō-zhən How to pronounce explosion (audio)
1
: the act or an instance of exploding
2
: a violent outburst of feeling

Medical Definition

explosion

noun
ex·​plo·​sion ik-ˈsplō-zhən How to pronounce explosion (audio)
: the act or an instance of exploding

More from Merriam-Webster on explosion

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