as in explosion
the act or an instance of exploding
there was a series of detonations around the base of the condemned building, causing it to come crashing down in a matter of minutes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 detonation
This innovative propulsion system combines the rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE) with a ramjet, allowing the engine to operate from takeoff through hypersonic speeds without complex mechanical systems.
—
Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 22 Nov. 2024
The pager attack — and a similar remote detonation of walkie-talkies the next day — was part of a dramatic escalation between Hezbollah and Israel that drove thousands of civilians from their homes on both sides of the conflict.
—Noah Bressner, Axios, 19 Dec. 2024
The Israeli military, which has been engaged in cross-border fighting with Hezbollah since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, at first declined to respond to questions about the detonations.
—Reuters, NBC News, 11 Nov. 2024
In the Tianjin port, an initial explosion of nitrocellulose led to a much bigger detonation of eight hundred pounds of ammonium nitrate.
—Hazlitt, 23 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for detonation 
Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 22 Nov. 2024
The pager attack — and a similar remote detonation of walkie-talkies the next day — was part of a dramatic escalation between Hezbollah and Israel that drove thousands of civilians from their homes on both sides of the conflict.
—Noah Bressner, Axios, 19 Dec. 2024
The Israeli military, which has been engaged in cross-border fighting with Hezbollah since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, at first declined to respond to questions about the detonations.
—Reuters, NBC News, 11 Nov. 2024
In the Tianjin port, an initial explosion of nitrocellulose led to a much bigger detonation of eight hundred pounds of ammonium nitrate.
—Hazlitt, 23 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for detonation
Thesaurus Entries Near detonation
Cite this Entry
“Detonation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detonation. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share