1
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect
there's been an explosive interest in the sport since the Olympics
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in violent
marked by bursts of destructive force or intense activity
one of the most explosive storms to hit that area of the coast in some time
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of explosive
Keven Lerner, Sun Sentinel, 6 Jan. 2026
Create explosive runs and turnovers, easier said than done, yes.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 6 Jan. 2026
Judy Berman, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
Here was a guy—and here, too, was a filmmaker—who knew how to handle an explosive.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for explosive
Adjective
On the field, Ole Miss has an explosive offense that Miami will be hard-pressed to slow down.
—Keven Lerner, Sun Sentinel, 6 Jan. 2026
Create explosive runs and turnovers, easier said than done, yes.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 6 Jan. 2026
Noun
An art conservator who'd prefer to be immersed in detail work, Sarah is bombing as the host of a dinner party where her entrepreneur husband (Tom Riley) hopes to impress an obnoxious prospective investor (Tom Goodman-Hill) when a literal explosive goes off in her neighborhood.
—Judy Berman, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
Here was a guy—and here, too, was a filmmaker—who knew how to handle an explosive.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for explosive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explosive
Adjective
-
This period of intense study laid the groundwork for what would later become known as the Korean New Wave.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Shares fell during his time in government but rebounded sharply in December, reaching a record high amid intense market interest in AI.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Safavi said the blackout coincided with violent confrontations in several regions.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Parallel societies in certain urban areas and rising violent crime statistics linked to some migrant cohorts in countries such as Sweden and Germany led to the dramatic rise of populist and patriotic parties across the continent, from France to Italy to the Netherlands.—
Daniel Ross Goodman,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
These are the investors most likely to make a big move when a tape bomb hits.—
Josh Brown,Sean Russo,
CNBC,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The tech could have an outsized effect on knowledge workers by automating the repetitive, data-intensive cognitive tasks that typically define those white-collar roles.—
Tom Huddleston Jr.,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Renee Nicole Good, a mother of three, was shot earlier this month while sitting in her car, while Alex Pretti, an intensive-care nurse, was killed in a separate encounter just over two weeks later.—
Becca Longmire,
PEOPLE,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
What Lee did not anticipate was the iron resolve, the ferocious tenacity, of the Union defenders.—
Jamelle Bouie,
Mercury News,
29 Jan. 2026
-
But nobody is just strong and ferocious, and nobody is just a saint.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
But Kaibab is a torpedo, launching from the South Rim and chasing a ridge down and out across the canyon.—
Roger Naylor,
AZCentral.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Alongside oil wells underground, the developer acknowledged a portion of this land had previously been used as a dumping site for things like torpedo propellant and printer fluid.—
Sarah Horbacewicz,
CBS News,
20 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Competition remains fierce in the Charlotte region to grab a piece of the lucrative grocery market share.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Jan. 2026
-
But long before the fire destroyed a broad section of the San Gabriel Valley community, a small but fierce army of people devoted themselves to others who were without a home.—
James Rainey,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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But as far back as 2024, signs began appearing that the furious pace of construction and the upward spiral of rents wouldn’t continue.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
13 Jan. 2026
-
As furious protests enter their third week and bring Iran to the precipice of change, the country’s theocratic government is trying to survive by harshly cracking down on the widening demonstrations.—
Mitchell McCluskey,
CNN Money,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Explosive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explosive. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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