Thesaurus results for DETONATION

detonation

noun

ˌde-tᵊn-ˈā-shən

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 Only when more members and influential insiders demand better of one another as a matter of course, before things go sideways, will there be fewer political self-detonations and shattered lives. —

Michelle Cottle, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026 The focus at the Thursday bail hearing centered on Samuel Machado and his alleged role in the detonation of about 1 million pounds of fireworks at the Esparto compound. —

Sacbee.com, 16 Apr. 2026 Even before the first atomic detonation at the Trinity test, James Franck, Eugene Rabinowitch, Leo Szilard and others issued a report warning of the far-reaching consequences of unleashing the atomic bomb, highlighting the dangers of a nuclear arms race. —

Daniel Holz, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026 The group Christians for Israel said the detonation targeted its Israel Center in Nijkerk and was caused by an explosive device. —

ABC News, 4 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for detonation

Recent Examples of Synonyms for detonation

Noun

Rubin, with the exquisite detail of its images, is well placed to find these types of events, in which stars disappear in explosions that can be too faint for other surveys to see.

— Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 15 May 2026
In New York City, the explosion of rideshare pickups and last-mile delivery overwhelmed curbside infrastructure built for a different era.

— Chase Garbarino, Fortune, 15 May 2026