EXPLODING Synonyms: 44 Similar and Opposite Words

exploding

verb

present participle of explode

as in detonating

to break open or into pieces usually because of internal pressure the building was wrecked when a powerful bomb exploded

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in erupting

to develop suddenly and violently the mayor's latest unpopular decision caused long-suppressed resentment to explode into open anger

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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 exploding Emma and Kim’s dog, who stays with me from time to time, is also named Nova (for lox, not an exploding star). —

Margaret Moorman, New Yorker, 22 Feb. 2026 Red fireworks are then seen exploding over the bridge. —

Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026 Still, the aspiring coach hopes to impart not just technical tips but some wisdom, too, acknowledging that with the exploding interest in the sport comes pressure and scrutiny. —

Rebecca Shore Winn, Southern Living, 18 Feb. 2026 The money flies out the window and into the streets before other women’s dresses—on their actual bodies, versus a hanger—begin exploding. —

Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 17 Feb. 2026 All of it — her divisive decision to represent China, her continuing pursuit of history in the women’s freeski events, her exploding celebrity — has come at a cost. —

Zak Keefer, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2026 With jets flying overhead and shells exploding nearby, the scene, shot in the Philippines, was done, amazingly, in one take. —

Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 16 Feb. 2026 Duvall paid his early dues in New York’s exploding off-Broadway scene in the late ‘50s, taking parts in such stage classics of the era as Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge. —

Chris Nashawaty, Vanity Fair, 16 Feb. 2026 Waterfield opted to stay in California; Russell's career was exploding. —

CBS News, 8 Feb. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for exploding

Verb

Built with a high-strength steel casing, it is engineered to withstand impacts from dense materials before detonating.

— Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 16 Feb. 2026
The statement said the attacker on Friday opened fire on security guards who tried to stop him at the main gate before detonating his explosive vest after reaching the mosque's inner gate.

— MUNIR AHMED, Arkansas Online, 8 Feb. 2026