1
as in eruptions
the act or an instance of exploding
the explosion of the first atomic bomb at Hiroshima
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bursts
a sudden intense expression of strong feeling
the explosion of patriotic feeling that the country experienced after that momentous event
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in scenes
an outburst or display of excited anger
the tennis player's expletive-enriched explosions on the court tested the patience of officials
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 explosions
Multiple explosions were heard in Kyiv, a Reuters witness said.
—
Reuters,
NBC news,
2 July 2026
Instead of focusing narrowly on one object at a time, the observatory will sweep across huge areas of sky, building an archive of stars, galaxies, asteroids and cosmic explosions.
—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2026
Rubin will look for undiscovered asteroids (including potentially hazardous ones heading toward Earth), unimaginably powerful cosmic explosions, and clues about the shadowy dark energy and dark matter that shape the universe.
—
Clara Moskowitz,
Scientific American,
1 July 2026
Here are some tips for pet owners to help their animals cope with the loud explosions and bright flashes.
—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
1 July 2026
Five people were killed and nearly three dozen others injured after Kyiv came under attack from a barrage of Russian ballistic missiles and drones overnight, the city's mayor said, describing multiple explosions across the capital.
—
Chris Boccia,
ABC News,
1 July 2026
The satellite's primary objective, though, is to observe gamma-ray bursts – events triggered by the catastrophic deaths of massive stars and considered to be the most powerful types of explosions in the universe.
—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
28 June 2026
The observatory has spent over two decades as a sort of orbital sentinel that scans the cosmos for gamma-ray bursts, ready to quickly point itself at the short-lived — but insanely powerful — space explosions at a moment's notice.
—
Tariq Malik,
Space.com,
26 June 2026
All the lasers, bombs and explosions that Fox’s Arwing navigates look ultra high-definition without turning into the overwhelming bullet-hell of other shooters.
—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
25 June 2026
Reuters,
NBC news,
2 July 2026
Instead of focusing narrowly on one object at a time, the observatory will sweep across huge areas of sky, building an archive of stars, galaxies, asteroids and cosmic explosions.
—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2026
Rubin will look for undiscovered asteroids (including potentially hazardous ones heading toward Earth), unimaginably powerful cosmic explosions, and clues about the shadowy dark energy and dark matter that shape the universe.
—
Clara Moskowitz,
Scientific American,
1 July 2026
Here are some tips for pet owners to help their animals cope with the loud explosions and bright flashes.
—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
1 July 2026
Five people were killed and nearly three dozen others injured after Kyiv came under attack from a barrage of Russian ballistic missiles and drones overnight, the city's mayor said, describing multiple explosions across the capital.
—
Chris Boccia,
ABC News,
1 July 2026
The satellite's primary objective, though, is to observe gamma-ray bursts – events triggered by the catastrophic deaths of massive stars and considered to be the most powerful types of explosions in the universe.
—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
28 June 2026
The observatory has spent over two decades as a sort of orbital sentinel that scans the cosmos for gamma-ray bursts, ready to quickly point itself at the short-lived — but insanely powerful — space explosions at a moment's notice.
—
Tariq Malik,
Space.com,
26 June 2026
All the lasers, bombs and explosions that Fox’s Arwing navigates look ultra high-definition without turning into the overwhelming bullet-hell of other shooters.
—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
25 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for explosions
Noun
-
Several of these eruptions were accompanied by coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that appear to be at least partially Earth-directed.
-
The most powerful solar flares are X-class solar flares, and forecasters at NOAA observed one of these eruptions on Tuesday.
Noun
-
From Friday to Sunday, singers and alphorn players filled the streets and spontaneous bursts of yodeling echoed through restaurants, where diners initially reacted with surprise before joining in.
-
San Francisco real estate agent Butch Haze of Compass has seen tech booms followed by ravenous bursts of homebuying since the first internet gold rush of the late 1990s.
Noun
-
Rodríguez described scenes of children hospitalized with amputations and survivors grieving multiple family deaths.
-
Claudia Wells plays Marty McFly's girlfriend, Jennifer Parker, who appears in scenes that bookend the original Back to the Future.
Noun
-
Slow and steady The most successful transformations look less like detonations and more like construction projects—unglamorous, incremental, and mapped out well in advance.
-
Meanwhile, sailors aboard USS Barb reported hearing distant explosions and depth-charge detonations during the same period, believing they may have been associated with an attack on Herring.
Noun
-
Public outbursts remain relatively uncommon, making this week's intervention particularly revealing.
-
There have been intermittent outbursts of violence against immigrants since then.
Noun
-
David walks out of the kitchen and Moira huffs and takes his spot over the pot.
-
As much as Payton bristles about media storylines and huffs about tempo questions, the Broncos went 25 minutes without a first down against Las Vegas.
Noun
-
Morel’s career arc had previously included flashes of legitimate middle-order production.
-
Swift was originally designed to study a rare type of transient called gamma-ray bursts—seconds-long flashes of gamma-ray light that arise from the most energetic explosions in the universe.
Noun
-
The fund’s June 29 Facebook post had amassed nearly 8,000 comments and reactions as of July 2, with many suggesting drones be banned on the island except when needed by law enforcement.
-
Many of the other current and former female activists involved in the fight shared their reactions to the ruling after it was announced.
Cite this Entry
“Explosions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/explosions. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
