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
Little Boy’s detonation mechanism was simple.
—
David Perlmutt, Charlotte Observer, 6 Aug. 2025
The detonation over the city instantly killed about 80,000 people and left tens of thousands more exposed to lethal radiation.
—Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 6 Aug. 2025
Some thought experiments, if truly wrestled with, can act like inner detonations.
—Shai Tubali, Big Think, 5 Aug. 2025
In the Tianjin port, an initial explosion of nitrocellulose led to a much bigger detonation of eight hundred pounds of ammonium nitrate.
—Hazlitt, 23 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for detonation
David Perlmutt, Charlotte Observer, 6 Aug. 2025
The detonation over the city instantly killed about 80,000 people and left tens of thousands more exposed to lethal radiation.
—Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 6 Aug. 2025
Some thought experiments, if truly wrestled with, can act like inner detonations.
—Shai Tubali, Big Think, 5 Aug. 2025
In the Tianjin port, an initial explosion of nitrocellulose led to a much bigger detonation of eight hundred pounds of ammonium nitrate.
—Hazlitt, 23 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for detonation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detonation
Noun
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The more massive stars can produce heavier elements such as carbon, oxygen and nitrogen, all the way up to iron, in a sequence of fusion reactions that end in a supernova explosion.—
Luke Keller,
Space.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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But two years ago, as the latest wave of artificial intelligence began reshaping education, Leskovec told Fortune he was rocked by the explosion of his field into the mainstream.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Around the time of this flip, solar activity gradually ramps up, causing more solar eruptions like solar flares and coronal mass ejections.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
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The tour also visits Heimaey, Vestmannaeyjar’s only inhabited island, and the lava fields created by the 1973 volcanic eruption.—
Mia Taylor,
Boston Herald,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Detonation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detonation. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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