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

On March 5, an Iranian drone targeted an oil tanker near the Iraqi port of Khor al Zubair, and another tanker reported an explosion while anchored off Kuwait. —Jordan Blum, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2026

The blast marks the latest violence in Peru’s La Libertad region, where events related to organized crime were blamed for 286 explosions last year. —Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2026

The explosion took place less than a month after another blast in the same city that damaged 25 homes but caused no injuries or fatalities. —ABC News, 7 Mar. 2026

Multiple explosions were heard in Tehran, with blasts lighting up the sky and turning it orange, according to reports from the Iranian capital. —Mirna Alsharif, NBC news, 7 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