1
as in detonating
to break open or into pieces usually because of internal pressure
the building was wrecked when a powerful bomb exploded
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shattering
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 erupting
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 exploding
The stage design resembled a giant moon that sometimes felt like the boiling crater of a volcano, with red lights and fireworks exploding over the arena and lighting up the night sky.
—
Natalia Cano, Billboard, 31 Jan. 2026
Back then, streaming and production demand were exploding.
—Kara Finnstrom, CBS News, 30 Jan. 2026
For decades the capital had worked like a slowly exploding atom bomb, inhaling poor Filipinos from the provinces and spitting them into distant suburbs, transforming rural barangays into slums of concrete and zinc.
—Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
As Oklahomans brace for the winter weather, some social media posts in recent days have warned of the chance for exploding trees.
—Melina Khan, Oklahoman, 24 Jan. 2026
As people brace for the winter weather, some social media posts in recent days have warned of the chance for exploding trees.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 23 Jan. 2026
Alongside that, Kaiser wants to keep an eye out for other high-energy neutrinos to test the idea that some might come from exploding black holes.
—Quanta Magazine, 23 Jan. 2026
Instead of repealing the climate scam mandates that are causing exploding energy costs, @MassGovernor is using tax dollars to artificially Band-Aid bills for a couple of months – money which was received through the utility companies (ratepayers) due to mandates!
—Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 22 Jan. 2026
Yoo thinks the company lost momentum after the 2016 Galaxy Note 7 crisis, when exploding batteries forced a massive recall.
—Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 6 Jan. 2026
Natalia Cano, Billboard, 31 Jan. 2026
Back then, streaming and production demand were exploding.
—Kara Finnstrom, CBS News, 30 Jan. 2026
For decades the capital had worked like a slowly exploding atom bomb, inhaling poor Filipinos from the provinces and spitting them into distant suburbs, transforming rural barangays into slums of concrete and zinc.
—Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
As Oklahomans brace for the winter weather, some social media posts in recent days have warned of the chance for exploding trees.
—Melina Khan, Oklahoman, 24 Jan. 2026
As people brace for the winter weather, some social media posts in recent days have warned of the chance for exploding trees.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 23 Jan. 2026
Alongside that, Kaiser wants to keep an eye out for other high-energy neutrinos to test the idea that some might come from exploding black holes.
—Quanta Magazine, 23 Jan. 2026
Instead of repealing the climate scam mandates that are causing exploding energy costs, @MassGovernor is using tax dollars to artificially Band-Aid bills for a couple of months – money which was received through the utility companies (ratepayers) due to mandates!
—Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 22 Jan. 2026
Yoo thinks the company lost momentum after the 2016 Galaxy Note 7 crisis, when exploding batteries forced a massive recall.
—Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 6 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exploding
Verb
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Douville later learned that the trees around him were literally cracking apart, detonating from the inside.—
Owen Clarke,
Outside,
23 Jan. 2026
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In a post on Telegram, Kiper said a two-story residential building was damaged and that a drone hit an apartment on the 17th floor of a high-rise building without detonating.—
Illia Novikov,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This set from the Good Grips collection is made of borosilicate glass, which is food-safe like standard glass, but also more resistant to heat—meaning it can be taken out of the freezer and popped straight into the microwave to reheat leftovers without shattering.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
30 Jan. 2026
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Both films feature an early phone call which is clearly shattering for their characters.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In a separate clip shared online, another brawl can be seen erupting in a hallway near some exit doors.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
31 Jan. 2026
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Neuromodulation is necessary for keeping the brain’s activity level in a functional range, preventing it from either flatlining or erupting in seizures.—
Ingrid Wickelgren,
Quanta Magazine,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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There are upscale restaurants from around the globe opening every week, and vinyl listening bars are popping up all over town, too.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
30 Jan. 2026
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Briggs New York Super Stretch Millennium Pull-On Pants Burgundy is the color of the moment, popping up on celebs like Mindy Kaling, Martha Stewart, and Lindsay Lohan.—
Jamie Allison Sanders,
PEOPLE,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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By smashing together heavy atoms of lead traveling at near-light speeds using the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), scientists can create a high-energy environment that briefly frees gluons and quarks from this atomic bondage, recreating the quark-gluon plasma of the early universe.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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Repurposing waste heat The launch of the system marked the first time that the Large Hadron Collider, better known for smashing protons at near-light speeds, has been tapped as a renewable thermal source.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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They’ve been burned enough by blowing leads this season.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
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Wilkerson treated him like a traffic cone, blowing by and bullying him for baskets.—
Aaron Heisen,
Daily News,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Crews are demolishing Westport infrastructure to construct an underground storage basin to hold water that previously would have flooded Westport buildings.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
26 Jan. 2026
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On Thursday morning, crews were nearly finished demolishing the adjacent structures, one of which was damaged by a fire in March 2024.—
Thomas Gounley,
Denver Post,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Since bursting on the scene as a 17-year-old phenom at the 2002 Winter Games, the now 41-year-old has cemented her legacy as one of the best Alpine skiers of all time.—
Devon Henderson,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
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That has Puerto Ricans bursting with anticipation — and pride.—
Alli Rosenbloom,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Exploding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exploding. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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