Definition of detonationnext
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

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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 detonation The measure repeals provisions in Finland’s 1987 Nuclear Energy Act that banned the import, production, possession and detonation of nuclear explosives. Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 18 June 2026 Slow and steady The most successful transformations look less like detonations and more like construction projects—unglamorous, incremental, and mapped out well in advance. Claire Zillman, Fortune, 12 June 2026 The unexplained detonation of explosives stored by one of Myanmar’s rebel armies has killed dozens, the militia that controls the village and witnesses said Monday, as the search for survivors continued amid widespread devastation at the site. Reuters, NBC news, 1 June 2026 The fireworks find comes after a fire in a converted garage May 9 led to the detonation of pyrotechnics that reportedly blew a man’s body apart on the 2400 block of Ninth Avenue in the Jefferson Park area. City News Service, Daily News, 28 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for detonation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detonation
Noun
  • Iranian state media reported explosions in several locations, including in Bandar Mahshahr, where a Guard member was killed.
    Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
  • In addition, the tritium is far safer compared to historical alternatives because beta particles cannot penetrate human skin, and the gas is securely stored in the form of a solid metal hydride foil, eliminating the danger of leakage or explosion.
    David Szondy July 07, New Atlas, 8 July 2026
Noun
  • That shared energy—the crowd noise, the collective exhale, the spontaneous eruption—creates memory at a neurological level.
    Jonathan Mallie, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
  • These intestinal eruptions usually last about a week, but can go on for two or more weeks, the CDC says, with dehydration being one of the most significant concerns.
    Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 7 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Detonation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detonation. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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