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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Recent Examples of detonating
In a post on Telegram, Kiper said a two-story residential building was damaged and that a drone hit an apartment on the 17th floor of a high-rise building without detonating.
—
Illia Novikov, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2026
Jayme Thornton Crossfire’s approach of detonating water balloons in midair—which has yet to be patented so the team would not describe it in detail—could eventually change the calculation about how much suppressant is needed to fight fires.
—IEEE Spectrum, 24 Dec. 2025
That was most evident with the two brothers who orchestrated the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, detonating two pressure-cooker bombs near the finish line that killed three people and injured more than 260 others.
—Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 23 Dec. 2025
Ships are on sanctions list Naval drones are uncrewed speed boats packed with explosives that sail towards their targets before detonating.
—Reuters, NBC news, 30 Nov. 2025
Poseidon had been described as a doomsday weapon that is designed to create a massive radioactive tsunami by detonating near coastal targets.
—Abhishek Bhardwaj, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2025
In between detonating bombs hidden in Christmas presents and disfiguring the entire police force, Art sets his sights on the Shaw family.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
Russia will test a new laser system designed to take out mines without detonating the explosive devices, state media reported on Thursday.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
Livingston is angry at Shagan for detonating the bomb without his order, but nevertheless takes advantage of the confusion over Abigail's fate to remove her from power.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Illia Novikov, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2026
Jayme Thornton Crossfire’s approach of detonating water balloons in midair—which has yet to be patented so the team would not describe it in detail—could eventually change the calculation about how much suppressant is needed to fight fires.
—IEEE Spectrum, 24 Dec. 2025
That was most evident with the two brothers who orchestrated the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, detonating two pressure-cooker bombs near the finish line that killed three people and injured more than 260 others.
—Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 23 Dec. 2025
Ships are on sanctions list Naval drones are uncrewed speed boats packed with explosives that sail towards their targets before detonating.
—Reuters, NBC news, 30 Nov. 2025
Poseidon had been described as a doomsday weapon that is designed to create a massive radioactive tsunami by detonating near coastal targets.
—Abhishek Bhardwaj, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2025
In between detonating bombs hidden in Christmas presents and disfiguring the entire police force, Art sets his sights on the Shaw family.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
Russia will test a new laser system designed to take out mines without detonating the explosive devices, state media reported on Thursday.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
Livingston is angry at Shagan for detonating the bomb without his order, but nevertheless takes advantage of the confusion over Abigail's fate to remove her from power.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detonating
Verb
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The overlapping relationships between the three, heightened by external narratives in the press and online, fester in isolation, eventually exploding into tragedy.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
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Yoo thinks the company lost momentum after the 2016 Galaxy Note 7 crisis, when exploding batteries forced a massive recall.—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Federal officers fired tear gas Monday to break up a crowd of whistle-blowing bystanders in Minneapolis who showed up to see the aftermath of a car crash involving immigration agents, just a few blocks from where Good was fatally shot.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
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San Francisco trailed 17-16 at halftime after blowing an early lead, but took over in the second half to cruise to a 41-23 win.—
Michael Nowels,
Mercury News,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Several other scarf-like neck pillows have begun popping up, including the Pono Neck Cradle Travel Pillow, $46, and the Vesta Loop Neck Pillow, $50.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
13 Jan. 2026
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The booming stock market has produced eye-popping gains, and the 2025 tax-and-spending bill will lead to fatter federal refunds.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Detonating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detonating. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
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