detonates; detonated; detonating
: to explode or to cause (something, such as a bomb) to explode
They knew that the bomb could detonate [=blow up] at any time.
The first atomic bomb was detonated in 1945.
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“Detonate.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/detonate. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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