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
However, there’s a palpable atmosphere of tension amidst what’s happening with these detonations.
—
Keir Simmons, NBC news, 3 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
At the climactic sally, six aerial bombs were dropped; none scored a direct hit, but their detonations damaged the hull so severely that the ship sank in 21 minutes.
—Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2026
Energy Secretary Chris Wright has emphasized that ongoing tests will not include nuclear detonations but will validate new subsystems and ensure readiness.
—Sam Stevenson, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Nov. 2025
Dailey traveled to Gralphs' Madison, Wisconsin, home in 2019, and learned about his experiences in Operation Crossroads, a pair of nuclear tests that took place at Bikini Atoll in 1946, marking the first nuclear detonations since the bombs dropped on Japan.
—Hope Hodge Seck, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Those detonations had the explosive equivalent of one Hiroshima-sized atomic bomb every day for 20 years, according to a 2025 report from the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (IEER).
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
Israel did not confirm its involvement in the immediate aftermath of the detonations, which came after months of Hezbollah rocket attacks on northern Israel, which had ratcheted up in the wake of the October 7, 2023 attacks on Southern Israel.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2025
Controlled detonations were expected to continue throughout the day.
—Evan Mealins, Nashville Tennessean, 12 Oct. 2025
Keir Simmons, NBC news, 3 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
At the climactic sally, six aerial bombs were dropped; none scored a direct hit, but their detonations damaged the hull so severely that the ship sank in 21 minutes.
—Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2026
Energy Secretary Chris Wright has emphasized that ongoing tests will not include nuclear detonations but will validate new subsystems and ensure readiness.
—Sam Stevenson, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Nov. 2025
Dailey traveled to Gralphs' Madison, Wisconsin, home in 2019, and learned about his experiences in Operation Crossroads, a pair of nuclear tests that took place at Bikini Atoll in 1946, marking the first nuclear detonations since the bombs dropped on Japan.
—Hope Hodge Seck, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Those detonations had the explosive equivalent of one Hiroshima-sized atomic bomb every day for 20 years, according to a 2025 report from the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (IEER).
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
Israel did not confirm its involvement in the immediate aftermath of the detonations, which came after months of Hezbollah rocket attacks on northern Israel, which had ratcheted up in the wake of the October 7, 2023 attacks on Southern Israel.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2025
Controlled detonations were expected to continue throughout the day.
—Evan Mealins, Nashville Tennessean, 12 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detonations
Noun
-
The explosions caused secondary fires that torched neighborhoods, according to the suit.—
Tony Saavedra,
Daily News,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Test explosions became increasingly rare.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The world often failed to use those political eruptions to actually improve the lot of the people in those countries.—
Jay Reddick,
The Orlando Sentinel,
7 Jan. 2026
-
On top of that, cosmic rays and the Sun's own eruptions can upset electronics.—
Leonard David,
Space.com,
4 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Detonations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detonations. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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