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.
The impact of the blast is still being felt by the characters this season — Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone), whose patient was responsible for the explosion, required an intervention from Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) and Maggie Pierce (Kelly McCreary). Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2025 Another fatal explosion Last week’s explosion marks the second time AES has seen a deadly blast on the campus. Kelly Puente, Nashville Tennessean, 17 Oct. 2025 The storyline comes following the season 22 premiere, where Amelia was rocked by the death of fellow doctor Monica Beltran, played by Natalie Morales, who was the sole casualty in the season opener after last season’s cliffhanger finale when the hospital was hit with an explosion. Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2025 Even the lab explosion was pulled off using practical effects. Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 17 Oct. 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 Oct. 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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