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
Lithuania on Wednesday accused Russia of being behind the detonations of parcels carried by DHL and DPD in Europe in 2024 as part of a test run for to trigger explosions on cargo flights to the United States.
—
Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2025
According to Duggleby, Venus engineers used a camera shooting at 1 million frames per second to slow down the RDRE ignition process and observe the engine's detonation sequence in as much detail as possible.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Israeli forces detained the men following the detonation of an explosive device beneath an Israeli military armored vehicle, wounding two soldiers.
—Chantal Da Silva, NBC news, 12 Sep. 2025
Following the detonations, black rains fell, sticky and radioactive—a type of nuclear fallout.
—R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for detonation
Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2025
According to Duggleby, Venus engineers used a camera shooting at 1 million frames per second to slow down the RDRE ignition process and observe the engine's detonation sequence in as much detail as possible.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Israeli forces detained the men following the detonation of an explosive device beneath an Israeli military armored vehicle, wounding two soldiers.
—Chantal Da Silva, NBC news, 12 Sep. 2025
Following the detonations, black rains fell, sticky and radioactive—a type of nuclear fallout.
—R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for detonation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detonation
Noun
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For the rest of the nineteenth century and into the twentieth century, magnetic storms, triggered by colossal solar explosions, repeatedly disrupted those networks.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
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Growing attraction Though specialized e-bike shops have been in operation for more than a decade, their recent explosion in business can be attributed to changes in offerings and price.—
Ashley Mackin Solomon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Sulfuric aerosols trapped in ice cores suggest that a truly massive volcanic eruption took place in 1809, followed by a succession of smaller eruptions that culminated in the staggering explosion of Mount Tambora in 1815.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
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While tectonic activity is the leading cause, earthquakes can also result from volcanic eruptions, underground explosions, and human activities like mining or large-scale construction.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Detonation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detonation. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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