Synonyms of detonating

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• exploding
• blowing
• popping
• bursting
• firing
• shattering
• crumping
• going off
• smashing
• blowing up
• fragmenting
• splintering
• discharging
• shooting
• mushrooming
• burgeoning
• ballooning

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• imploding
• collapsing
• fizzling

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of detonating

Bowie planned to put the bomb in a delivery bag and escape to Syria after detonating it, the complaint alleges. — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 20 Aug. 2026

Just weeks before her confrontation with Cunningham, Carrington sent shockwaves through the WNBA by publicly detonating her former relationship on social media. — Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026

Anvil is a smaller, faster aircraft designed to destroy hostile drones by colliding with them or detonating nearby. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026

According to a report in German newspaper Bild, investigators believe only a technical malfunction may have prevented the device attached to the drone from detonating. — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026

Brown says the firm also explored investing in an Israeli start-up developing underground munitions capable of tunneling beneath targets before detonating, but that deal ultimately fell through. — Clara Molot, Vanity Fair, 22 July 2026

The video shows these drones flying into the Russian positions and detonating their payloads during the assault. — Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

To put it simply—detonating nuclear weapons in space can be as disastrous as detonating them on Earth. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 8 July 2026

With this in mind, NATO ran an exercise in June imagining drones detonating as a ship enters the port. — Anna Mulrine Grobe, Christian Science Monitor, 6 July 2026