1
as in detonating
to break open or into pieces usually because of internal pressure the building was wrecked when a powerful bomb exploded
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2
as in shattering
to cause to break open or into pieces by or as if by an explosive the bomb was so powerful that it exploded windows in several neighboring buildings
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3
as in erupting
to develop suddenly and violently the mayor's latest unpopular decision caused long-suppressed resentment to explode into open anger
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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 exploding That is, until the union starts not-so-quietly exploding during a vicious screaming match at their home following a fundraising event. —
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 17 Apr. 2026 When spring is in the air, there’s nothing quite like seeing a garden exploding in seasonal color. —Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 17 Apr. 2026 With a backlog of $7 billion, and hyperscaler capital spending exploding, Liani expects demand for network connectivity to grow further this year. —Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 16 Apr. 2026 Rolling blackouts, exploding manholes, and a crumbling energy grid have nothing to do with socialism. —Shahana Hanif, New York Daily News, 14 Apr. 2026 Sources say Doomsday is exploding on long-lead tracking. —Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2026 Old Herald clippings from 1986 reported about homeowners toilets and sinks smelling like gas, a 3-year-old getting rashes and fevers from drinking the well water and fear of driers exploding. —Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2026 And these are people that are living where the bombs are exploding. —Kevin Liptak, CNN Money, 6 Apr. 2026 Two nights after exploding for a career-high 51 points, Flagg’s sensational performance was the main reason the Mavericks snapped a 14-game home losing streak in a 134-128 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. —Mike Curtis, Dallas Morning News, 5 Apr. 2026
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 17 Apr. 2026 When spring is in the air, there’s nothing quite like seeing a garden exploding in seasonal color. —Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 17 Apr. 2026 With a backlog of $7 billion, and hyperscaler capital spending exploding, Liani expects demand for network connectivity to grow further this year. —Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 16 Apr. 2026 Rolling blackouts, exploding manholes, and a crumbling energy grid have nothing to do with socialism. —Shahana Hanif, New York Daily News, 14 Apr. 2026 Sources say Doomsday is exploding on long-lead tracking. —Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2026 Old Herald clippings from 1986 reported about homeowners toilets and sinks smelling like gas, a 3-year-old getting rashes and fevers from drinking the well water and fear of driers exploding. —Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2026 And these are people that are living where the bombs are exploding. —Kevin Liptak, CNN Money, 6 Apr. 2026 Two nights after exploding for a career-high 51 points, Flagg’s sensational performance was the main reason the Mavericks snapped a 14-game home losing streak in a 134-128 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. —Mike Curtis, Dallas Morning News, 5 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exploding
Verb
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And some advanced mines have counters that will let a certain number of ships pass before detonating.— Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 13 Apr. 2026
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Named after the infamous Japanese suicide pilots of World War II, these kinds of drones can actively hunt for targets, track them, and then ram into them, detonating their explosive payloads.— Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 4 Apr. 2026
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The following week at the San Jose Invitational, Wilkins broke his own world record on three consecutive throws, shattering the 70-meter and 230-feet barriers along the way.— Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 17 Apr. 2026
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The actress said that one night, her daughter, Luca, 28, witnessed her shattering framed photos of herself and Abrams and then using the glass shards to self-harm.— Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
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That impact and his trajectory launched his dragster up into the air, erupting in a fireball, breaking into pieces and getting badly tangled in the catch fencing.— Jan Wagner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Apr. 2026
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The first batch of storms erupting in the western part of the threat zone is the one most likely to spin up tornadoes and unleash the biggest hail, which could total vehicles, shatter windows and damage roofs.— Briana Waxman, CNN Money, 17 Apr. 2026
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The buttery biscuit sandwiches, ranging from $3 to $12, are popping up around the city.— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 17 Apr. 2026
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An eye-popping 47% of respondents experienced anxiety or panic during the homebuying process.— Jeff Lazerson, Oc Register, 16 Apr. 2026
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In footage shared by the BBC on X, Medvedev, who suffered a 6-0 6-0 loss during the 49-minute match, was filmed smashing up his tennis racket six times and angrily tossing it across the court.— Gina Kalsi, PEOPLE, 9 Apr. 2026
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At the nearly 17-mile-long circular particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) that sits deep below the French Alps, CERN scientists recreated the quark-gluon plasma by smashing together atomic nuclei of iron at near-light speed.— Robert Lea, Space.com, 8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The week will be breezy, with winds blowing 10 mph to 15 mph from the northeast.— Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026
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Visibilities may drop below 1/4 mile due to falling and blowing snow.— CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Thiel says 200 workers spent Saturday demolishing the stair tower and elevator shaft, and then the focus shifts to the rest of the building.— Ryan Hughes, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026
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The musician and fashion mogul began the process of demolishing the architectural gem, completely stripping its electricity, plumbing, bathrooms, and windows.— India Roby, Architectural Digest, 8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The results were colorful, bursting with shapes and patterns, but often totally bizarre.— Gabe Montesanti, PEOPLE, 19 Apr. 2026
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This strawberry-lemonade gelatin is bursting with berry flavor.— Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Exploding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/exploding. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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