DETONATING Synonyms: 21 Similar and Opposite Words

detonating

verb

present participle of detonate

as in exploding

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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Example Sentences

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 detonating In one video a drone runs into protective netting at least 50 feet above the target and detonating prematurely. —

David Hambling, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026 Investigators found that Aliji intended to drive a Volkswagen Beetle equipped with fake police sirens and flashing blue lights toward crowds outside the venue before detonating explosives concealed inside a Red Bull can. —

Bryan West, USA Today, 28 May 2026 Its material originated during October 1977 sessions at Memphis’ Ardent Studios, where the original lineup — the late Lux Interior, Poison Ivy, Bryan Gregory and Nick Knox — worked with Chilton shortly before detonating the underground rock landscape. —

Spin Staff, SPIN, 27 May 2026 While the $25,000 charge is a monthly fee for the satellite connection provided to a satellite terminal, the terminals are being used with drones that only make one-way trips before hitting targets and detonating on impact. —

ArsTechnica, 26 May 2026 One culminated last year with abject disaster, with Karl Lysinger detonating his Oak Park house and dying in the process, months after the home was auctioned. —

Graham Womack may 18, Sacbee.com, 18 May 2026 Two Massachusetts men have pleaded guilty to breaking into Harvard Medical School and detonating fireworks last Halloween night, a crime that caught the eye of FBI Director Kash Patel. —

Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026 And some advanced mines have counters that will let a certain number of ships pass before detonating. —

Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 13 Apr. 2026 The 40-year-old from Alabama responded emphatically, detonating the fabled right hand several times and eventually pummeling Chisora to the ground. —

Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for detonating

Verb

Pai saw how the industry was exploding, how brands such as Maui and Son, Gotcha and Quiksilver were flying off the shelves, inventory gone after the weekend.

— Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 21 June 2026
Another survey will prompt the telescope to observe one specific region every five days over the course of two years to learn more about objects within the cosmos that change over time, such as exploding stars.

— Eleanor Jacobs, PEOPLE, 21 June 2026