as in explosions
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 detonations
Meanwhile, sailors aboard USS Barb reported hearing distant explosions and depth-charge detonations during the same period, believing they may have been associated with an attack on Herring.
—
Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 2 June 2026
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
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
Remote detonations are also used to trigger slides intentionally and remove risky buildup before skiers are allowed on the slopes, said Chris Lundy, an avalanche specialist with the National Avalanche Center.
—ABC News, 18 Feb. 2026
His public address envisioned a future filled with waves of nuclear arms buildups and test detonations.
—New York Times, 14 Feb. 2026
Ukrainian officials said powerful explosions and secondary detonations were recorded at the site, while the extent of damage was still being assessed.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Others were instant detonations.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 30 Jan. 2026
Silva saw two fires on the runway that were quickly put out, and reported hearing similar detonations and planes flying low over Caracas for at least an hour.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 3 Jan. 2026
Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 2 June 2026
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
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
Remote detonations are also used to trigger slides intentionally and remove risky buildup before skiers are allowed on the slopes, said Chris Lundy, an avalanche specialist with the National Avalanche Center.
—ABC News, 18 Feb. 2026
His public address envisioned a future filled with waves of nuclear arms buildups and test detonations.
—New York Times, 14 Feb. 2026
Ukrainian officials said powerful explosions and secondary detonations were recorded at the site, while the extent of damage was still being assessed.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Others were instant detonations.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 30 Jan. 2026
Silva saw two fires on the runway that were quickly put out, and reported hearing similar detonations and planes flying low over Caracas for at least an hour.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 3 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detonations
Noun
-
Perhaps alarmingly, the city’s air defenses appeared to be less active during the final wave of Russian strikes on Tuesday morning, with CNN producers hearing ongoing explosions, but not the sound of counter-systems firing.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
-
Some were awakened by explosions; others pulled back their curtains in the early hours to see plumes of black smoke rising above the city.—
David Hickey,
NBC news,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
There’s a certain predictability to the plots in a Taylor Sheridan production — a kind of slow, relentless grind from crisis to crisis, punctuated by occasional eruptions of violence.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
-
The Island of Hawaii features three famous volcanoes — Kilauea with its spectacular eruptions, Mauna Kea and its spectacular sunsets, and Mauna Loa, the world’s highest mountain when measured from its underwater base to the summit.—
Joe Yogerst,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Detonations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detonations. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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