1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

dynamite 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of dynamitenext
as in excellent
of the very best kind a summer blockbuster that features some really dynamite special effects

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

dynamite

2 of 2

verb

as in to blow up

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 dynamite
Adjective
However, according to the report, violence is increasing in museum thefts, with thieves using instruments such as dynamite, guns, and sledgehammers to gain access to treasures and deter employees from interfering. — News Desk, Artforum, 24 Aug. 2026 Those prices rise at the end of the week, with Keely Hodgkinson versus Audrey Werro promising to be a dynamite 800m final and Mondo Duplantis going in the pole vault. — Liam Tharme, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
Verb
These live versions dynamite that meditative hollow or expand it to the size of a megachurch. — Mitch Therieau, Pitchfork, 8 Apr. 2026 In 1969, Palestinian fighters used the area here — with Lebanon’s blessing — to wage attacks on Israel, prompting Israeli soldiers to dynamite 17 houses in Kfar Chouba. — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dynamite
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dynamite
  1. excellent
  2. blow up
  3. terrific
  4. demolish
  5. great
  6. tear down
  7. superb
  8. destroy
Adjective
  • An individual company can maintain excellent controls and favorable claims experience while still facing higher pricing because the market has deteriorated around it.
    — Randy Sadler, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Food and drink The property’s on-site restaurant serves decent New American fare in a room that offers the same excellent views as the penthouses, or on the hotel’s delightful terrace during the warmer months.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of excellent
Verb
  • The trio blew up with their drum & bass productions before expanding into electro, house, pop and beyond, gaining prestige for the complexity and meticulousness of their productions.
    — Katie Bain, Billboard, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The stock traded above $500 in 2021, then spent the next three years getting cut in half, then cut in half again, as growth slowed, the Grail acquisition blew up under regulatory pressure and the market wanted nothing to do with it.
    — Josh Brown,Sean Russo, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of blow up
Adjective
  • Jordan Lawler pinch-ran but was caught stealing on a terrific throw by Marlins catcher Joe Mack.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Scott tears into the Bard’s lines — his Hamlet is terrific — and the spotlight is more on his sense of humor than his pain.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of terrific
Verb
  • In New York City, light-up drones recreated the outlines of the twin towers that used to be a fixture in the skyline before they were demolished in the attacks.
    — Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 11 Sep. 2026
  • One drone operator talks about going out for lunch or hanging out with their friends in Tel Aviv after demolishing people’s houses in Gaza from miles away.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of demolish
Adjective
  • Countries with far smaller digital ecosystems, like Cambodia and Laos, have even greater struggles to attract and retain AI talent.
    — Brian Wong, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The tropical cyclone reached Category 5, defined by sustained winds of 157 mph or greater, overnight Friday before losing some of its steam and settling into Category 4’s limits of sustained winds of 130 to 156 mph by Saturday.
    — Dennis Romero, NBC news, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of great
Verb
  • Thousands of fans in a crowd of 48,238 stormed the field and tore down both goalposts to celebrate the end of a four-game KU losing streak.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 11 Sep. 2026
  • While their Oscar-winning No Other Land alternated between scenes of bulldozers tearing down homes in the West Bank and scenes showing the growing camaraderie between Abraham and his Palestinian co-director Badel Adra, there is no such relief here.
    — Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of tear down
Adjective
  • Typically, Mora will pick up the ball in the left channel and run at a defender, before slowing to a jog, then use his superb balance to burst past his flat-footed opponent on either side, like in this example against Fiorentina last month.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Cam Schlitter gave up one run and two hits in eight superb innings, and the New York Yankees scored five two-out runs in the 10th in a series-clinching, 6-3 victory over the Angels on Wednesday night at Angel Stadium.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of superb
Verb
  • The fire destroyed the historic Grand Canyon Lodge, cabins and other structures.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Mark Zuckerberg certainly wants no part of one, and cutthroat competition seems hard-coded into tech executives, who are rich enough not to need to win but wake up every morning trying to destroy each other anyway.
    — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of destroy

Browse Nearby Words

dynamism
dynamite
dynamited
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dynamite.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dynamite. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on dynamite

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dynamite

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All