detonate
verb
det·o·nate
ˈde-tᵊn-ˌāt 
ˈde-tə-ˌnāt
detonated; detonating
: to explode with sudden violence
1
: to cause to detonate
detonate a bomb
compare deflagrate
2
: to set off in a burst of activity : spark
programs that detonated controversies
Examples of detonate in a Sentence
The first atomic bomb was detonated in 1945.
the bomb detonated with a thunder that could be heard for blocks in all directions
Recent Examples on the Web
Hazmat crews detonated the explosives around 4 a.m. Wednesday, according to KSL-TV, a news outlet based in Salt Lake City.
—
USA TODAY, 24 Apr. 2024
Two people were killed and there was terror across Israel that the missiles would detonate with chemical or biological warheads, causing mass casualties.
—NBC News, 15 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for detonate 
USA TODAY, 24 Apr. 2024
Two people were killed and there was terror across Israel that the missiles would detonate with chemical or biological warheads, causing mass casualties.
—NBC News, 15 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for detonate
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'detonate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near detonate
Cite this Entry
“Detonate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detonate. Accessed 4 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
detonate
verb
det·o·nate
ˈdet-ᵊn-ˌāt
ˈdet-ə-ˌnāt
detonated; detonating
: to explode or cause to explode with sudden violence
detonation
noun
ˌdet-ᵊn-ˈā-shən
ˌdet-ə-ˈnā-
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