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
An explosion detonates during the 25-second video.
—
Arkansas Online, 7 Apr. 2025
Hamas is repurposing Israeli bombs that failed to detonate to booby-trap buildings and roads in preparation for another Israeli invasion.
—Amos Harel, Foreign Affairs, 7 Apr. 2025
Then, the supernova explosion — one with more power than a thousand trillion trillion nuclear bombs — will detonate.
—Julian Dossett, Space.com, 7 Apr. 2025
These ants, known for their ability to detonate their own bodies, release a toxic secretion to neutralize the threat of invading predators.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for detonate
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Arkansas Online, 7 Apr. 2025
Hamas is repurposing Israeli bombs that failed to detonate to booby-trap buildings and roads in preparation for another Israeli invasion.
—Amos Harel, Foreign Affairs, 7 Apr. 2025
Then, the supernova explosion — one with more power than a thousand trillion trillion nuclear bombs — will detonate.
—Julian Dossett, Space.com, 7 Apr. 2025
These ants, known for their ability to detonate their own bodies, release a toxic secretion to neutralize the threat of invading predators.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for detonate
Cite this Entry
“Detonate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detonate. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.
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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