DETONATES Synonyms: 21 Similar and Opposite Words

detonates

verb

present tense third-person singular of detonate

as in explodes

to break open or into pieces usually because of internal pressure the bomb detonated with a thunder that could be heard for blocks in all directions

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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.

Recent Examples of detonates If the ammunition detonates after penetration, the explosion is directed away from the crew compartment, significantly improving the crew’s chances of survival. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 30 June 2026 After the pass comes to Bridges, who detonates passersby at the basket regularly, White goes straight up, though with a little more oomph than usual. — Fred Katz, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026 Advertisement Christine Adams Courtesy of Apple TV Lang gets off the train and, once at a safe distance, detonates the explosive. — Barry Levitt, Time, 4 Mar. 2026 But once in a rare while, the frame detonates into history. — Christopher Anderson, Vanity Fair, 27 Feb. 2026 During a trip to New York, an off-camera exchange detonates the conflict. — Literary Hub, 24 Feb. 2026 Gemma then detonates the device. — Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 27 Jan. 2026 Determined to finish the job, Dante detonates explosives on the dam itself. — EW.com, 24 Aug. 2025 Toussaint is killed in the penultimate episode after Shagan detonates a bomb on Saskia’s computer. — Nicole Briese, People.com, 22 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for detonates

Verb

Directed by Venice prize-winner John Swab, Copperhead‘s plot is thrust into motion when an undercover drug deal explodes into violence.

— Matt Grobar, Deadline, 8 Sep. 2026
That explodes into action in one startlingly seedy scene involving a rape in full view of revelers at a hotel party.

— Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of explodes

Verb

Usually a cold front blows through a few days before the dove season opener.

— Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 6 Sep. 2026
Scirocco, named for the wind that blows through the Mediterranean from the Sahara, is a celebration of all things local including produce and absolutely seafood.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of blows

Verb

Where Saka pops up throughout the 2026-27 season will be particularly interesting.

— Art de Roché, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
When their family's love curse pops up again, the siblings work with their aunts (Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest) and Sally's kids (Joey King and Maisie Williams) to break it once and for all.

— Brian Truitt, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of pops

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“Detonates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detonates. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of detonates

verb

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