explodes

verb

present tense third-person singular of explode
1
as in detonates
to break open or into pieces usually because of internal pressure the building was wrecked when a powerful bomb exploded

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2
as in shatters
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in erupts
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

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 explodes In other words, desire, in an unrepressed form, explodes the channels through which it is expected to flow. — Shanti Escalante-De Mattei, ARTnews.com, 26 Oct. 2026 In the video, shared by Nixon on Instagram, Benton, Baranski and others in full regalia (bustles, corsets, the whole nine yards) huddle around the iPad of John Douglas Thompson, who plays Peggy’s father, before the room explodes. — Alison Herman, Variety, 22 Oct. 2026 Simmons can sling it with the best of them — the ball explodes out of his hands. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2026 Finally, extremely drunk, the young writer explodes in rage, then passes out. — Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026 When the gang war that’s been building all along between the Greasers and the Socs finally explodes in the second act, the violence is conveyed through movement, lighting, sound and just all around scenic brilliance. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026 Continue reading … ‘NEVER-ENDING’ — Huge number of noncitizens found on voter rolls as Mike Lee explodes on 'honor system'. — FOXNews.com, 25 Sep. 2026 Once the mook is within blasting range, Reacher explodes the tank with a bullet — making both the man and the floor as holey as Swiss cheese. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026 Control Resonant, the sequel, takes most of that game’s gorgeous visual language and explodes it all over an open-world New York City, to mesmerizing results. — Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 18 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explodes
  1. detonates
  2. shatters
  3. erupts
  4. pops
  5. smashes
  6. blows
  7. demolishes
  8. destroys
Verb
  • Forever Home FilmNation Entertainment, the Mediapro Studio A corpse beneath an idyllic home detonates this domestic thriller adapted from Graham Norton’s bestseller.
    — Emiliano de Pablos, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
  • The missile, called a PrSM—for precision-strike missile—detonates midair and spreads thousands of small tungsten fragments in all directions.
    — Robin Wright, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of detonates
Verb
  • With their daughter away at college, Abby and husband Gordy (Arquette) are settling into life as empty nesters when the arrival of a mysterious young woman (Shouse) shatters their sense of safety.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The attack underscores a widening front in the Iran war and shatters a 2022 ceasefire that had largely halted fighting in Yemen’s civil war.
    — Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of shatters
Verb
  • Comedy civil war erupts as comics take sides over Shane Gillis monologue.
    — , FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • When Hanne, a staff member of a struggling animal rescue, unexpectedly becomes executor of a wealthy hunting family’s estate, a bitter battle over the inheritance erupts.
    — Annika Pham, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of erupts
Verb
  • To shoppers, the chain disappears, until next September or so, when another store pops up somewhere in the neighborhood.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Here’s a prime example of a more cryptic style of clue that sometimes pops up in late-week puzzles.
    — Sean McGowan, New York Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of pops
Verb
  • The episode’s action-movie finale drops the rest of the episode’s spoofy meta humor and aims at straight drama, as Butcherbird smashes through Katerina’s security detail and drops her disguise.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The company essentially smashes the cooler into a long, slim form low enough to slide under its Box beds while one or two people snore cozily away on top.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of smashes
Verb
  • Morgan blows a meeting with a publisher (Poorna Jagannathan, in her third of four high-profile TV role this year.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Miami fans had plenty to stress about as the UM offense misfired and Florida State responded to potential knockout blows with huge plays.
    — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of blows
Verb
  • An $8,000 Ryvid Anthem or a $10,000 Maeving RM1S will deliver broadly similar urban usability, while the $12,500 Zero FXE absolutely demolishes it on power-per-dollar.
    — Utkarsh Sood June 12, New Atlas, 12 June 2026
  • The latest filing demolishes the timeworn claim that DOGE was infiltrated into Social Security in order to responsibly ferret out fraud and overspending.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
Definition of demolishes
Verb
  • This overfeeding triggers a runaway nuclear explosion that usually destroys the white dwarf.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The more useful skill for leaders and investors is learning to distinguish between a problem that destroys value and one that can be solved in a way that creates it.
    — Michael Ligon, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of destroys

Browse Nearby Words

exploded
explodes
exploding
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Cite this Entry

“Explodes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explodes. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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