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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of explosive
Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 3 June 2025
Ammar’s explosive film is the result of 10 years of editing; the intensive autobiography intersects the history of Europe and the Middle East, and film history, too.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 3 June 2025
Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 June 2025
Lance Jimenez, a Los Angeles Fire Department arson investigator, said the explosive was made from a 40-ounce Olde English 800 malt liquor bottle and a silky designer handkerchief.
—Michael R. Sisak, Arkansas Online, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for explosive
Adjective
Not just to break an explosive play or make a spectacular haul.
—Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 3 June 2025
Ammar’s explosive film is the result of 10 years of editing; the intensive autobiography intersects the history of Europe and the Middle East, and film history, too.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 3 June 2025
Noun
Soliman is also facing felony charges for using explosives or incendiary devices, first-degree assault, and causing serious injury to the elderly, but prosecutors may decide on different charges.
—Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 June 2025
Lance Jimenez, a Los Angeles Fire Department arson investigator, said the explosive was made from a 40-ounce Olde English 800 malt liquor bottle and a silky designer handkerchief.
—Michael R. Sisak, Arkansas Online, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for explosive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explosive
Adjective
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And, believe it or not, Europe does have air conditioning, which can be quite an intense shift when moving between the outdoors into coach buses or stores.—
Gregory Robinson,
Travel + Leisure,
31 May 2025
-
Residents of Maoming, China were treated to a celestial light show earlier this week when a surprise fireball burst to life overhead, illuminating the city before disappearing in an intense flare of light.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
31 May 2025
Adjective
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Individual plots veer between cartoonish farce (the gang accidentally makes friends with a violent criminal) and more mundane problems (Billie loses her insurance and gets into medical debt).—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
28 May 2025
-
Police Chief Neil Noakes spent two decades in uniform, working to reduce violent crimes, support officers’ mental wellness, and strengthen trust in Fort Worth.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 May 2025
Noun
-
Moscow’s stationing fission or fusion bombs in orbit would violate the Outer Space Treaty - the fundamental international pact that governs space missions across the solar system.—
Kevin Holden Platt,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
-
In the ensuing battles, Israeli forces have mercilessly pounded Gaza with bombs that have destroyed much of the region’s infrastructure, killing more than 53,000, according to Palestinian health officials.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
The department conducts an annual review of each state, and a more intensive one that’s supposed to be completed roughly every five years.—
Becca Savransky,
Idaho Statesman,
13 May 2025
-
Ryan Murphy has found his Kennedys after an intensive casting search for the first installment of his new FX anthology series, American Love Story.—
Meredith Kile,
People.com,
13 May 2025
Adjective
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America, then, was visible to Fuller as the ferocious winds destroyed the vessel.—
James Marcus,
New Yorker,
2 June 2025
-
The Thunder are deep, play ferocious defense and have a star in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who embraces the big moment.—
Bob Harkins,
New York Times,
29 May 2025
Noun
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But its domination has already been raked by the torpedoes from another threat.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
-
Austin Wells homered later in the inning, and the Yankees ultimately won, 20-9, while clubbing a franchise-record nine home runs with a lineup full of torpedo bats.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Caron was used to seeing my fiery side, the fierce competitor, the demanding coach.—
Jim Calhoun with Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
31 May 2025
-
The feedback was fierce—storyboards dismantled, ideas shredded—but the environment was psychologically safe.—
Ann Kowal Smith,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
Adjective
-
President Donald Trump’s turbulent tariff policy is projected to cause a sharper slowdown in economic growth in the United States and around the world than previously expected, the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) found in a Tuesday report.—
Solcyré Burga,
Time,
3 June 2025
-
This turbulent phase will pass, leading to more peaceful times ahead.—
Essence,
Essence,
2 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Explosive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explosive. Accessed 9 Jun. 2025.
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