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.
Photo taken after an explosion in downtown Tehran amid Israel's two-day campaign of strikes against Iran on June 15. Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 June 2025 The explosion of betting options signals the next stage of growth for U.S. sports betting, shifting from wagers placed before a game to betting during a game. Brendan Coffey, Sportico.com, 15 June 2025 Overnight, the sound of explosions and Iranian air defense systems firing at targets echoed across central Tehran. Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2025 The video showed the dark night sky being lit up by a series of rapid explosions, with smoke rising in the distance. Katie Polglase, CNN Money, 13 June 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 19 Jun. 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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