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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Recent Examples of detonation
The report suggested possible causes for the premature fuze detonation but determined that military personnel were not at fault.
—
Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
The energy imparted would have been equivalent to 6 million tons of TNT, or basically a large nuclear detonation.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 5 Mar. 2026
Given the prospect of nuclear war, humanity’s arsenal could indeed wipe out every living human on Earth from detonations and the ensuing fallout.
—Big Think, 4 Mar. 2026
The Wall Street Journal reported that the nuclear detonation bet had spiked in popularity after the US and Israel’s deadly strikes in Iran.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for detonation
Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
The energy imparted would have been equivalent to 6 million tons of TNT, or basically a large nuclear detonation.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 5 Mar. 2026
Given the prospect of nuclear war, humanity’s arsenal could indeed wipe out every living human on Earth from detonations and the ensuing fallout.
—Big Think, 4 Mar. 2026
The Wall Street Journal reported that the nuclear detonation bet had spiked in popularity after the US and Israel’s deadly strikes in Iran.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for detonation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detonation
Noun
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According to the documents, Chee paid his other employees in cash — including those who later died in the explosion.—
Joe Rubin,
Sacbee.com,
10 Apr. 2026
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The warmth that is the CinemaScope explosion of every emotion all at once.—
Courtney Crowder,
USA Today,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The eruption of an Icelandic volcano kept some artists from getting to the festival, including The Cribs and Frightened Rabbit.—
Vanessa Franko,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Apr. 2026
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Home to the volcanic eruptions that have been hitting headlines since 2023, the country’s geothermal power is on full display.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Detonation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detonation. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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