explosion

noun ex·plo·sion \ ik-ˈsplō-zhən \

|Updated on: 17 Jul 2018

Examples: explosion in a Sentence

Definition of explosion

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

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See explosion defined for kids

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 of explosion from the Web

Image Two men pleaded guilty on Friday to manslaughter charges in the death of a Fire Department battalion chief in an explosion of a Bronx house that had been used to grow marijuana, the authorities said.

— christopher mele, New York Times, "2 Plead Guilty to Manslaughter in Gas Explosion That Killed a Fire Chief," 13 July 2018
Authorities have said a crew punctured a natural gas main in downtown Sun Prairie on Tuesday, resulting in an explosion that damaged five buildings and killed Sun Prairie Fire Department Capt.

— todd richmond, chicagotribune.com, "Communications subcontractor 'on site' ahead of fatal Wisconsin blast that killed firefighter, injured 11," 12 July 2018
WE Energies spokeswoman Amy Jahns said workers for a private contractor punctured a 4-inch gas main, causing a leak that resulted in the explosion.

— christopher brito, CBS News, "J.J. Watt quietly donates $10K to fallen Wisconsin firefighter's family," 12 July 2018
The move would set off an explosion of buying and selling—of which the government would get its cut.

— kimberley a. strassel, WSJ, "Trump Alone Can Cut Taxes," 12 July 2018
An explosion rocked the downtown area of a suburb of Madison, Wisconsin, after a contractor struck a natural gas main Monday, injuring at least two firefighters and a police officer, authorities said.

— todd richmond, The Seattle Times, "Explosion rocks Wisconsin town; at least 3 hurt," 10 July 2018
The Pistons shot nearly 50 percent from the field and 40 percent from 3-point range in an offensive explosion for a team that had failed to score more than 70 points in two previous games.

— vince ellis, Detroit Free Press, "Henry Ellenson breaks slump in Detroit Pistons summer league win 105-97," 9 July 2018
In June, seven people were killed in an explosion in the town.

— kate linthicum, latimes.com, "At least 22 killed in fireworks explosions in a Mexican town with a history of deadly blasts," 5 July 2018
In the case of a roman candle, the fireball's momentum is increased by an expanding gas in the barrel of the candle (an explosion).

— rhett allain, WIRED, "The Physics of Launching Fireworks From a Drone," 4 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'explosion.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of explosion

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

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First Known Use: 1681

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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explosion Synonyms

EXPLOSION Defined for English Language Learners

explosion

noun

Definition of explosion for English Language Learners

: the sudden, loud, and violent release of energy that happens when something (such as a bomb) breaks apart in a way that sends parts flying outward
: a sudden and very fast increase
: a sudden expression of some strong emotion