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
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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
Noe Padilla, IndyStar, 3 Oct. 2025
The military contractor supplies weapons to Israel and is the maker of the MK-84 bomb, an unguided heavy explosive with a wide blast radius.
—News Desk, Artforum, 25 Sep. 2025
Leo Barraclough, Variety, 14 Oct. 2025
That’s only going to make this team better and more explosive.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for explosive
Adjective
Investigators have since concluded that the item initially thought to be an explosive was debris from a fiery vehicle crash.
—Noe Padilla, IndyStar, 3 Oct. 2025
The military contractor supplies weapons to Israel and is the maker of the MK-84 bomb, an unguided heavy explosive with a wide blast radius.
—News Desk, Artforum, 25 Sep. 2025
Noun
As powerful forces close in, all three are forced to confront the explosive truth — one that could rewrite history, and that others will kill to keep hidden.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 14 Oct. 2025
That’s only going to make this team better and more explosive.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for explosive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explosive
Adjective
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Thus, current fears reinforce a pre-existing localism, and infuse it with new and intense emotions.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
18 Oct. 2025
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After at least half a decade of acute concern about the way that platforms such as Instagram may affect young people, as well as intense debate about how best to keep kids safe online, Meta has arrived at a label that was invented in the 1980s because parents were upset by movies such as Gremlins.—
Kaitlyn Tiffany,
The Atlantic,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Others, like Ghiath Dalla, a brigadier general whose forces were involved in violent repression of protests, is among several former officers plotting sabotage from Lebanon, according to ex-military commanders, who also shared text message exchanges with The Times.—
Danny Makki,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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Continue reading … FED UP – Trump storms most violent US city with federal muscle as police group warns of soft-on-crime consequences.—
,
FOXNews.com,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Ibrahimović, who was an economist by training and profession, met then film school student Žbanić in a bomb shelter during the 1992 to 1996 Siege of Sarajevo.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
13 Oct. 2025
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The former Rocky Flats weapons plant, which produced plutonium triggers for nuclear bombs, drew thousands of protesters for years to the site north of Denver, including such prominent activists as Daniel Ellsberg and Beat poet Allen Ginsberg.—
Judith Kohler,
Denver Post,
13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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There is a downside to such intensive planting, though.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
13 Oct. 2025
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Tuesday was filled with intensive coaching and mentorship sessions with Walmart and Sam's Club merchants, sourcing experts and past Open Call alumni about scaling up production, improving packaging, and strengthening their financial and operational readiness.—
Serenah McKay,
Arkansas Online,
11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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As previously announced, Andrew Garfield stars as the legendary leader of a ferocious rebellion against the tyranny of King Richard II.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Andrew Garfield is leading the feature that is now in production, portraying the leader of a ferocious rebellion against the tyranny of King Richard II.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
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That ship was sunk by six torpedoes and two bombs, according to the National Park Service.—
Genevieve Shaw Brown,
FOXNews.com,
27 Sep. 2025
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Director Edward Berger designed the experience to evoke visceral tension: rain droplets, torpedo corridors, and claustrophobic realism blur the line between viewer and scene.—
Charlie Fink,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Israel then launched its war on the strip, which has been devastated by fierce bombardment and Israel Defense Forces (IDF) ground operations.—
Ellie Cook,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
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Plenty of companies offer fully remote work, Frana says, but competition can be fierce for those roles.—
Sophie Caldwell,
CNBC,
13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The Nintendo Switch era has been turbulent for the franchise, to put it mildly.—
Ryan Gaur,
Rolling Stone,
14 Oct. 2025
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Now, in an increasingly turbulent world, those barriers are going back up.—
Gordon G. Chang,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Explosive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explosive. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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