1
as in to detonate
to break open or into pieces usually because of internal pressure
the building was wrecked when a powerful bomb exploded
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to shatter
to cause to break open or into pieces by or as if by an explosive
the bomb was so powerful that it exploded windows in several neighboring buildings
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to erupt
to develop suddenly and violently
the mayor's latest unpopular decision caused long-suppressed resentment to explode into open anger
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of explode
Dancing with the Stars exploded in popularity last season, raking in its largest audience in years driven by interest from younger viewers.
—
Katie Campione, Deadline, 12 May 2026
Shares have surged more than 230% over the past year as the market for weight-management drugs, including GLP-1s, has exploded .
—Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 12 May 2026
However, as hyperscale data centers from tech giants like Meta, Google, and Microsoft perhaps increasingly rely on power for cooling, the demand for water to cool down power plants will explode, experts suggest.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 11 May 2026
Yet a revolution is now underway, one that is exploding all the spending records.
—Chris Smith, Vanity Fair, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for explode
Katie Campione, Deadline, 12 May 2026
Shares have surged more than 230% over the past year as the market for weight-management drugs, including GLP-1s, has exploded .
—Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 12 May 2026
However, as hyperscale data centers from tech giants like Meta, Google, and Microsoft perhaps increasingly rely on power for cooling, the demand for water to cool down power plants will explode, experts suggest.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 11 May 2026
Yet a revolution is now underway, one that is exploding all the spending records.
—Chris Smith, Vanity Fair, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for explode
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explode
Verb
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The explosives didn’t detonate and were safely removed by law enforcement after the attack.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 May 2026
-
The Trinity test, conducted as part of the Manhattan Project in the New Mexico desert, detonated a plutonium bomb that released the energy of 25 kilotons of TNT.—
Clara Moskowitz,
Scientific American,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Around the same time as the engagement photo shoots, the brides-to-be start mending their porcelain plates, which were ceremoniously shattered so the brides-to-be could mend them.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
13 May 2026
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When her husband Karl finds her after years of searching, that hope is shattered, forcing her to return to Vienna – into a society that once sought to erase her.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
13 May 2026
Verb
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For a long time, scientists presumed that the intense pressure and toxic compounds that erupt from Earth’s crust through hydrothermal vents would make these structures and the water around them incompatible with life.—
Adam Kovac,
Scientific American,
15 May 2026
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But when the Gaga music started playing, the crowd erupted with the kind of hysteria once reserved for Beatlemania.—
Maxwell Adler,
Vanity Fair,
15 May 2026
Verb
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But second-year point guard Carla Leite, who had hurt her ankle earlier in the evening, blew by Jones in isolation to tie the score 96-96 with 27 seconds to play.—
Sabreena Merchant,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
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Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
12 May 2026
Verb
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Authorities said the suspect then smashed into the store's jewelry counter, stealing nearly $10,000 worth of merchandise before walking out and fleeing the scene on a motorcycle.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
16 May 2026
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Suarez was caught on surveillance camera smashing into the Volkswagen Jetta on Amsterdam Ave.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
16 May 2026
Verb
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Zebra Technologies — The automation stock popped 17% on better-than-expected first-quarter results.—
Fred Imbert,Sarah Min,
CNBC,
12 May 2026
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One theory that has popped up is that the virus originated from a bird watching landfill in Ushuaia, located at the southern tip of Argentina, where a couple who were infected with the virus visited, Argentinian officials first hypothesized.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 May 2026
Verb
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There, on the Hudson River waterfront, David Wojnarowicz wrote poems and painted murals alongside Luis Frangella and Mike Bidlo, while Peter Hujar and Dirk Rowntree photographed scenes of impromptu happenings and performances, before the site was demolished in 1984.—
Natalia Torija,
Curbed,
14 May 2026
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Playing in Cincinnati, just about 100 miles away from his hometown of Louisville, Daylen Lile demolished a home run in the 10th inning on Wednesday to help the Washington Nationals earn an 8-7 comeback win over the Cincinnati Reds.—
Danielle Allentuck,
Washington Post,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Researchers believe huge quantities of groundwater likely burst onto the surface in a series of catastrophic floods that surged downhill and rapidly carved the waterworn valleys visible today.—
Samantha Mathewson,
Space.com,
15 May 2026
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But Donald used that size mismatch to his advantage, leveraging an unprecedented first step and incredible agility to burst past linemen and attack the offense.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Explode.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explode. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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