as in explosion
the act or an instance of exploding there was a series of detonations around the base of the condemned building, causing it to come crashing down in a matter of minutes

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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 detonation The Starship was being filled with liquid oxygen and high-energy methane fuel at the time the detonations happened. June 19, CBS News, 19 June 2025 One is from the outer shell of helium, via fusion before the detonation dilutes the material. ArsTechnica, 2 July 2025 Astronomers predicted that if a double detonation had occurred, the remnant of the supernova would contain two separate shells of calcium. Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025 Air raid sirens, the whine of kamikaze drones and booming detonations reverberated from early evening until dawn as Russia launched what Ukraine's Air Force said was a total of 539 drones and 11 missiles. Pavel Polityuk, USA Today, 4 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for detonation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detonation
Noun
  • There's also been an explosion of machine identities, known as non-human identities (NHIs), that enterprises have to contend with.
    TK Keanini, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
  • The rapper and actor, whose real name is Scott Mescudi, was subpoenaed by federal prosecutors and was required to testify against the Bad Boy Records founder in regards to a home invasion and car explosion allegedly linked to Combs.
    Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 13 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The children died in June 2023 in what prosecutors described as an eruption of violence motivated by fear of losing them to their father, Nathan John, according to the BBC, who survived the attack.
    Christina Coulter, People.com, 7 Aug. 2025
  • The same earthquake is believed to have triggered the eruption of Klyuchevskoy, Kamchatka's most active volcano, which began on Wednesday.
    Isabel van Brugen, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Detonation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detonation. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.

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