explosion

noun

ex·​plo·​sion ik-ˈsplō-zhən 

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

Synonyms of explosion

• eruption
• detonation

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

In Israel, loud explosions filled the air in Tel Aviv and emergency crews responded to nearly a dozen impact sites. —CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026

After an accidental explosion in a West Village bomb factory killed three Weathermen, those who survived, shaken by their friends’ deaths, swore off deadly violence. —Zayd Ayers Dohrn, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2026

According to the Iranian media, one witness reported hearing multiple explosions near Mashhad Airport shortly after 7 pm, local time. —Moriah Thomas, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2026

Early Saturday, Danish shipping giant Maersk, widely regarded as a barometer of global trade, responded to reports of drone activity and explosions that occurred at the Port of Salalah in Oman. —Azhar Sukri, CNBC, 28 Mar. 2026

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

Phrases Containing explosion

• population explosion

Rhymes for explosion

• corrosion
• erosion
• implosion

Kids Definition

explosion

noun

ex·​plo·​sion ik-ˈsplō-zhən 

1

: the act or an instance of exploding

2

: a violent outburst of feeling

Medical Definition

explosion

noun

ex·​plo·​sion ik-ˈsplō-zhən 

: the act or an instance of exploding