implode

verb

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im·plode | \ im-ˈplōd

imploded; imploding

Definition of implode

intransitive verb

1a : to burst inward a blow causing a vacuum tube to implode

b : to undergo violent compression massive stars which implode

2 : to collapse inward as if from external pressure also : to become greatly reduced as if from collapsing

3 : to break down or fall apart from within : self-destruct the firm … imploded from greed and factionalism— Jan Hoffman

transitive verb

: to cause to implode

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about implode

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Examples of implode in a Sentence

a controlled demolition during which the entire building imploded in a matter of seconds

Recent Examples on the Web The star will implode, releasing shock waves and neutrinos, or ghostly particles, and blow apart. — Ashley Strickland, CNN, "Betelgeuse, the curiously dimming star, may be covered in giant star spots," 29 June 2020 Still, no matter what went down throughout more than a dozen World Series of Rock concerts, nothing compared to that wild 1979 show, a combustible mix of fierce rockers, some about to reach their peaks, others ready to implode. — cleveland, "Revisiting the World Series of Rock 1979 in all its insanity and greatness," 17 June 2020 In 2011, the Camden Police Department in New Jersey became the first law enforcement agency in recent memory to implode as the state struggled to pay for officers. — Simone Weichselbaum And Nicole Lewis, USA TODAY, "Support for defunding police departments is growing. Here's why it's not an easy solution.," 9 June 2020 There are good reasons for stocks to be recovering, between massive guarantees from the Federal Reserve that the financial system won’t implode even if the economy does and signs that everything from travel to retail may be on a sharper upswing. — Zachary Karabell, Time, "The May Jobs Report Doesn’t Say What We Think It Says," 8 June 2020 The result is that even as real-world economies freeze and implode in the short-term, financial markets are buoyed by a tsunami of liquidity. — Zachary Karabell, Time, "Stocks Are Recovering While the Economy Collapses. That Makes More Sense Than You'd Think.," 29 Apr. 2020 It is sometimes suggested that the moment of reckoning will finally arrive for the Republican Party—that its corrupt, incompetent, and lawless extremism, combined with unfavorable demographic and cultural shifts, will cause the party to implode. — Joseph O’neill, The New York Review of Books, "Brand New Dems?," 29 Apr. 2020 As the global economy is battered by the new coronavirus pandemic, questions are growing about whether a vast pile of risky debt can be allowed to implode. — John Detrixhe, Quartz, "As the economy plunges, debate is growing over a bailout for junk bonds," 8 Apr. 2020 Fishing participation is also in danger of imploding, but that collapse won’t occur for about 20 years. — Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, "Why We Suck at Recruiting New Hunters, Why It Matters, and How You Can Fix It," 15 Oct. 2019

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